Welcome to Britain! New Harrods owners see cars worth £1.5m CLAMPED (outside store they bought for £1.5bn)

Daily Mail, By DAILY MAIL REPORTER, 29th July 2010

They may be two of the fastest, most exclusive supercars in the world but they were going nowhere fast - after being clamped outside Harrods.

The sportscars - worth over £1.5million - belong to the Qatari royal family which bought the exclusive store three months ago.

The £1.2million Koenigsegg CCXR and £350,000 Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce were illegally parked outside the London department store last week.

Going nowhere: Two supercars worth over, £1.5million belonging to the Qatari royal family were clamped outside Harrods

Crowds of tourists watched in disbelief as a traffic warden first ticketed then clamped both vehicles - which are custom-made in the royal family's distinctive 'baby blue' colour.

The stunning cars belong to the oil-rich Al-Thani royal family, who own a string of luxury vehicles - including a one-off Pagani Zonda Uno.

Qatar Holding group, which forked out £1.5billion in April to buy Harrods from Fulham FC owner Mohamed Al Fayed, is led by the Prime Minister of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani.

The beautiful 249mph Koenigsegg is one of only six ever made.

The £1.2million Koenigsegg CCXR and £350,000 Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce were illegally parked outside the London department store

The custom-built supercar is built from scratch and does an eye-watering 0-60 in 2.9 seconds, producing a staggering 1,064bhp.

The Lamborghini is one of only 350 ever built, again in the families trademark colour, and has a top speed of 213mph and is capable of 0-60 in just 3.2 seconds.

But both were brought to a standstill when they were clamped - although the owners shouldn't have too much trouble stumping up the £150 release fee.

The owners could have taken advantage of Harrods' valet parking service which charges a £8 for the first hour or £40 for 8-9 hours with an additional £50 charge to store a car overnight.

An onlooker said: 'It's not every day you see cars like this, let alone watch them get clamped.

'Judging by their cars, I shouldn't think the owners will worry too much about paying a couple of hundred quid to have the clamps taken off.'

The Al Thani family have an estimated wealth in the region of £2.4billion as well as stakes in dozens of businesses around the world.

They live a playboy lifestyle and assets include a fleet of £multi-million yachts and luxury homes in countries across the globe.

A spokesperson for Harrods said: 'You will need to speak to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea who deal with parking regulations.'

Indonesia Overtakes Thailand in Car Sales

Jakarta Globe, Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, July 29, 2010

Car salesin Indonesia are now the highest in Southeast Asia. (Antara Photo)

Jakarta.Indonesia has hit the fast lane in terms of auto sales and has overtakenSoutheast Asian pace-setter Thailand for the first time, according to a Nikkeisurvey from the first six months of the year.

Officialsand auto executives attending the 18th Indonesia International Motor Show inJakarta told AFP the outlook for sales in the archipelago of 240 million peoplehad never been brighter.

“Sincelate 2009 and early 2010, all auto brands and producers have been trying toincrease production capacity in Indonesia” to meet demand, industry ministryofficial Budi Darmadi said.

“Comparedto other countries in the region, we have the fastest growth of car sales.”

Salespeaked in Indonesia at 600,000 units in 2008 but slumped 20 percent last yeardue to the global financial turmoil. This year’s figures are expected to top700,000 for the first time, ahead of Thailand.

TheIndonesian Automotive Industry Association (Gaikindo) said auto sales inIndonesia jumped 76 percent to 370,206 vehicles in the first half of 2010,driven by strong demand for minivans with engine outputs of 1.5 liters.

Sales inThailand rose 54 percent to 356,692 units during the same period, according tothe Nikkei survey released Wednesday.

Some1.18 million new vehicles were sold in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, thePhilippines, Vietnam and Singapore during the period, it said.

This wasan increase of 41 percent and put the industry on track to surpass the 2008sales record of 2.09 million units for the six key Southeast Asian markets.

The newswill be music to the ears of Toyota executives — Japanese cars account forabout 80 percent of sales in these countries.

Multipurposemodels like Toyota’s Avanza — a four-door family hatchback — make up 30 percentof total sales in Indonesia, Nikkei said.

“Indonesiamay hit its first million annual car sales in the next two years,” industryanalyst Suhari Sargo said.

Sargosaid more and more Indonesians would trade in their motorcycles for cars aswealth was more evenly distributed outside the economic centre of Java island.

“Butbefore it can achieve more well-balanced wealth distribution, the governmentmust improve infrastructure such as roads,” he said.

GunadiSindhuwinata, the chief of prominent distributor Indomobil, said most vehicleswere purchased through credit so low interest rates were crucial.

“Consideringthe country’s population of 240 million, sales of 700,000 units a year doesn’tmean much,” Sindhuwinata said.

Indonesiaweathered the global liquidity crunch and is forecasting growth of around 5.7percent this year, among the fastest in the G20 group of rich and developingcountries.

Itspotential has caught the eye of Japanese carmaker Nissan, which plans to invest20 million dollars in its Indonesian assembly plant to double productioncapacity to 100,000 cars from 50,000.

“Todaywe have about five percent market share. This is far below our potential,”chief executive Carlos Ghosn said while visiting Jakarta in June.

Mercedes-Benzbooked remarkable growth although competition in the luxury segment was tough,Mercedes-Benz Indonesia chief executive Rudi Borgenheimer said.

“Oursales have increased about 46 percent to June this year compared to the sameperiod last year. I’m very proud,” he said. “Per capita income has risen. Morepeople can afford cars now compared to when I came to this country four yearsago.”

Risingcar sales may be good news for some, but residents of the traffic-chokedIndonesian capital could be forgiven for hoping the additional vehicles end upon other cities’ roads.

AgenceFrance-Presse

Taxi company leaves Pertamina, shifts to Shell

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 07/28/2010 9:32 AM

Taxi company PT Gamya Taksi Group is negotiating a cooperation agreement with PT Shell Indonesia after 270 units or one fourth of its fleet could not operatedue to broken fuel pumps.

Gamya President Director Mintarsih A Latief said replacing the taxis’ fuel tanks would not solve the problem if the cause of the damage was still around gasstations selling subsidized fuel produced by state oil and gas company PT Pertamina.

“There is no guarantee that the same problem will not recur if we change the fuel tanks,” she told Kontan business daily on Tuesday.

Preliminary investigation found that the Pertamina fuel bought from gas stations in Kreo,Pondok Bambu and on Jl. TB Simatupang contained sulfur. Gamya claims to have lost up to Rp 162 million in revenue per day due to the damage.

As of Tuesday 50 taxis could not operate due to limited stock of fuel pump components.

Mintarsih said the use of high-octane fuel from Shell would force her company to increase service fee. “If we cannot find another way, we will have to increase thetariff,” she added.

The multinational oil company only sells non-subsidized fuels.

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KNKT: Radar at Soekarno Hatta Airport Can Still Be Used If Well-Maintained

Tempo Interactive, Monday, 26 July, 2010 | 15:46 WIB

TEMPOInteractive, Jakarta:The chief of the National Flight Safety Commission (KNKT)Tatang Kurniadi said that the condition of airport radars is mostly affected byits maintenance rather than its age.

“Radarsare an electronic device. If it is well maintained and the spare parts arestill available in the market, then it can still function well,” he told Tempowhen asked about the complaints about the radar at the Soekarno-Hatta Airport,yesterday.

Even so,Tatang admitted that radars still have an ideal usage time. “But a radar isexpensive. So as long as you maintain it well, you can still use it. But if youchange it with a new one off course it is better and surely moresophisticated,” he added.

Accordingto Tatang, an airport radar has an important function in regulating airtraffic. “Radars cannot be used 24 hours straight or it will malfunction,” hesaid.

Tatangsaid he did know for sure how long the radars in Indonesian airports have beenaround for, but there have not been any accidents due to radars.

Earlier,the radar at the Soekarno – Hatta International Airport was reported to havebeen malfunctioning often. It is 15 years old and its performance isproblematic.

AGUNGSEDAYU/AYU CIPTA

Fuel Pump Problems Continue To Spread

Jakarta Globe,Faisal Maliki Baskoro & Muhamad Al Azhari, July 25, 2010

Embattled Pertamina, under fire for a rash of explosions involving state-subsidized gascylinders, is facing further criticism for the poor quality of its Premium gasoline. (Reuters Photo/Beawiharta)

BlueBird has been joined by another taxi company as well as an auto distributor incomplaining about broken fuel pumps in their cars causing breakdowns, while state oil company PT Pertamina continued to stand behind its Premium gasoline, saying it was not the problem.

Express Group president director Daniel Podiman said on Sunday that about 40 of the company’s taxis were suffering broken fuel pumps each day. All of the affected cars were Toyota Limos, the same model used by the Blue Bird Group.

“This has been happening for the last few weeks. However, we can’t conclude whether the problem is caused by poor-quality Premium fuel supplied by Pertamina or byToyota’s fuel pumps,” Daniel said.

Also speaking on Sunday, PT Hyundai Motor Indonesia president director Jongkie Sugiarto said the distributor had seen a sudden rise in requests for fuel pumps over the past few weeks. “Yes, there is a surge in fuel pump demand based on reports from our dealers, but we don’t know what’s causing it,” he said.

He said Hyundai was investigating what type of cars were experiencing the problem, where they were filling up and the damage to their pumps.

Last week, Blue Bird, the country’s largest taxi company, announced that 1,200 of its Toyota Limo taxis had experienced pump failures since early June. It blamed substandard Premium fuel for a build-up of sediment in the pumps and said Pertamina may be liable for repair costs, which it estimated at Rp 20 billion($2.2 million).

Both Blue Bird and Express purchase subsidized Premium gasoline exclusively from Pertamina at discounted rates. Blue Bird buys around 5.7 million liters of fuel per month for its 11,000 taxis nation wide, according to Pertamina.

The oil company, meanwhile, has strenuously denied allegations that its Premium fuel is to blame for the fuel pump problems.

Speaking on Friday, Pertamina president director Karen Agustiawan challenged Blue Bird to prove that Pertamina had downgraded the quality of its Premium fuel.

“Who ever thinks that our Premium fuel is bad can go ahead and prove it. But if it turnsout that Pertamina is right and they are wrong, I will sue them,” she said.

Karen said recent spot tests of fuel had proven that the quality of Premium fuel was well within the range the government deems acceptable.

Last week, Pertamina undertook checks on Premium gas sold at 16 stations in Greater Jakarta to monitor for possible quality problems with the fuel. On Friday, it announced that levels in all of the tested samples met state requirements for octane and sulphur content. Low octane in fuel can clog fuel pumps as can high levels of sulphur, eventually leading to breakdowns.

Johny Darmawan, president director of PT Toyota Astra Mobil, said on Friday that he was aware that Pertamina had carried out quality tests on its fuel. “However,we are still wondering why there are so many cars experiencing breakdowns, and not just Toyotas,” he said.

Johny said the company planned to sit down with Pertamina next week in an attempt to find a solution to the problem. In the meantime, the car distributor was focusing on fulfilling the increased demand for fuel pumps, he said.

Commenting on the fuel pump debate, Danang Parikesit, chairman of the Indonesian Transportation Community, blamed the ongoing problems on insufficient government oversight and called for independent testing of the fuel as soon as possible.

“The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry needs to increase scrutiny on Premium fuel quality. If it can’t do that, it should appoint an independent watchdog toit,” he said.

Related Article:

Taxis remain in the dark on fuel pump problems

Taxi operators hit hard by sudden spate of stalled cars

HasyimWidhiarto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 07/24/2010 9:23 AM

Taxioperators in the city are expressing frustration following increasing incidentsof taxis stalling in the past three weeks, allegedly due to poor qualitygasoline and badly manufactured fuel pumps.

“Atleast 30 taxis stall during operation every day and must return to our pool fora check up,” Priyatmedi, the operational director of Jakarta-based Taxiku taxiservice, told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

“Ourin-house mechanics found that the taxis stalled mainly due to problems with thefuel pumps.”

Althoughthe company’s new fleet of Chevrolets are still covered by guarantees for anyspare parts purchased from the dealer, Priyatmedi complained that “once a taxistalls, it affects the collection of our operating income”.

BlueBird Group public relations head Teguh Wijayanto said his company had foundfuel pump damage in 1,200 of their cars.

“Some ofour drivers could not start their cars due to the problem while others hadtheir cars suddenly grind to a halt.”

He saidthe company’s mechanics pinned the problem on a similar cause. “They found aclot in the cars’ fuel pumps,” he said.

Earlierthis week, several taxi operators reported that a large number of their carssuffered from technical problems due to flawed to fuel pumps.

Normally,the pumps have to be replaced after 100,000 kilometers, or around four years ofuse.

“Butnow, we find that some of our newer cars that have less than 30,000 kilometerson the clock also have faulty fuel pumps,” Teguh said.

BlueBird currently operates a fleet of more than 11,000 Toyota Limo cars, producedbetween 2007 and 2009, throughout Greater Jakarta, while Taxiku operating lessthan 1,000 cars in the same area.

Thesudden spate of fuel pump issues has triggered public speculation.

Onewidespread view is that there was an intentional attempt to degrade the qualityof premium gasoline in Jakarta, while others blame production errors during thefuel pump manufacturing process.

State-ownedoil and gas firm PT Pertamina has strongly denied any rumors of tampered fuelsupplies.

Pertaminais the largest distributor of subsidized premium gasoline in the country.

“Ourlaboratory tests on premium gasoline samples collected from several Pertaminagas stations in Jakarta on July 20 found no substandard fuel.” Pertaminacorporate secretary Toharso said Thursday.

Whenasked for comment, PT Toyota Astra Motor president director Johnny Darmawansaid

Fridaythat he did not want to speculate about the fuel pump problem, saying that allcar distributors, Pertaminaand public representatives needed to meet to discuss the matter.

“Reportsshow that it is not only our [Toyota] cars that have this problem,” Johnnysaid.

Green cars have great market potential in RI : minister

Antara News, Saturday, July 24, 2010 03:52 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Industry Minister MS Hidayat said green cars had great market potentials in Indonesia, particularly among middle-class consumers.

"There is now a trend to use green and low-priced vehicles," the minister said after accompanying Vice President Boediono in opening the Indonesian International Motor Show (IIMS) 2010 here on Friday.

He said such four-wheel vehicles were now in high demand in Indonesia. Low-cost , energy-efficient and environmentally friendly cars had great market potentials among middle-class people in Indonesia.

However, he said, he could not promise incentives for environmentally friendly cars to enable them to gain a large market. Cars with environmentally friendly technology are more expensive than cars with regular engines.

"If vehicle manufacturers in Indonesia already use environmentally friendly technology in most of their products, then we`ll talk about incentives," said the former chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN).

But Hidayat also said t he supported the provision of incentives for environmentally-friendly cars. But the authority to give incentives, he said, was at the Ministry of Finance.

"I am not a finance minister," said Hidayat when reporters asked about the matter of incentives.

Previously, auto sole agencies (ATPMs) had called on the government to provide tax incentives for environmentally-friendly cars so that they could be sold at lower than their present prices. The price of environmentally friendly cars, such as the Toyota Prius with a hybrid engine, is now almost twice the price of cars of the same type using conventional technology (gasoline engine).

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Garuda orders six Airbus planes for US$1.15 billion

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 07/22/2010 11:12 AM

State-owned airline PT Garuda Indonesia placed an order with Airbus SAS at the Farnborough Air Show for six A330-200 wide-body jets in a deal valued at US$1.15 billion, the airline said in a statement Wednesday.

The planes are expected to arrive in Indonesia in the fourth quarter of 2012 and will supplement four A330-200 and six A330-300 Airbus planes currently used by Garuda.

The six aircraft will be equipped with the Trent 700 engine from Rolls-Royce and serve the airline’s routes in the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East and Europe, said Garuda.

“Since we started operating the plane last year, the A330-200 has proven an excellent performer, particularly in terms of economic and operational efficiency,” said Garuda president and CEO Emirsyah Satar.

He added that the A330-200 would be the right choice for the airline’s medium-range routes.

Tom Enders, president and CEO of Airbus, said the company was pleased to revive a long-term relationship with Garuda. He added the A330 excelled in efficiency compared to other airlines in its class.

On Wednesday, the third day of the airshow, Airbus also booked an $1.49 billion order for seven A330-300 wide-body jets from Thai Airways International Pcl, Thailand’s biggest airline.

Boeing said it booked an order Wednesday for two 777 wide-body aircraft from Qatar Airways Ltd and for two 777-200LR wide-body aircraft from Air Australia.

Bloomberg reported Wednesday that Airbus and Boeing were almost tied for new orders and had racked up collective orders for 243 aircraft valued at more than $23 billion.

Boeing won 121 orders worth $11.6 billion as of Tuesday while Airbus has sales agreements for 122 jets valued at $11.7 billion, excluding 50 A320s ordered by Chile’s LAN Airlines and subject to confirmation.

Orders at this year’s event are more than three times the 78 announced at last year’s Paris Air- show, with which the Farnborough event alternates. The tally trails the 373 firm orders announced by Airbus and Boeing in 2008.

Cyclists continue asking for safety protection, comfort

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 07/20/2010 10:55 AM

Cyclistsattending the first Bicycle Congress of Indonesia (KSI) last weekend at theSultan Hotel in Central Jakarta, have shown support for authorities to improvethe safety and comfort of cyclists including implementing bike lanes.

Some ofthe 4,000 bikers joining the congress even cycled from as far as Central Java.

Forexample, the 63-year-old farmer Juid from Dukuh Waru village in Tegal, CentralJava. He told The Jakarta Post that he cycled for three days to reach thecongress.

“Ialways love to gather with other cyclists to share the same love for thesport,” Juid said adding that cycling was his main form of privatetransportation.

The ricefarmer said he cycled alone to the congress and sacrificed sleep.

He didnot have enough money to join a group from his hometown, which asked Rp 150,000(US$16) for the transportation fee.

“If Ifelt sleepy, I stopped at a coffee stall and drunk a cup of black coffee withsalt,” he said smoking a clove cigarette.

Juiddeparted from his village last Wednesday and arrived about 4 a.m. lastSaturday.

He saidthat he loved riding bicycles because it was healthy and he could meet newpeople.

“I hopewe can organize similar activities like this in our village,” Juid said.

Eightteachers from a state vocational high school in Sumedang also cycled toJakarta. It took about 16 hours to reach the capital.

Oneteacher, Ony Kaswoyo, 54, said that he loved to see cyclists gathered becausethey were sociable because had things in common.

“I metsome people in the previous cyclists meeting, they know each other well. Ithink we should hold more events like this in the future,” Ony said.

He saidthat he liked cycling in Jakarta, however, he said the city should have a bikelane.

“It isdifficult for us to cycle in the lanes used by buses and other vehicles,” hesaid.

Anotherteacher, K.H. Sarbini, 43, encountered a challenge when his group began cyclingto Jakarta.

“We werelost late at night in the middle of nowhere.

“We lostour way, so we decided to take a break,” he said.

However,he said that he would join another event in the future.

As partof the event, the KSI declared Saturday a new committee called the IndonesianBicycle Committee with South Jakarta Mayor Syahrul Effendi acting as itschairman.

“Thecommittee will be the voice of the cycling communities to the government.

“We willkeep making recommendations to improve the safety and comfort of cyclists,”Syahrul said. (not)

Explosions force Batavia Air to land

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 07/16/2010 12:39 PM

BataviaAir dephub.go.id

A Batavia Air Airbus A320 plane bound for Jakarta landed back at Sultan SyarifKasim II Airport in the Riau capital of Pekanbaru on Thursday evening due to asuspected engine problem, the company said Friday.

BataviaAir District Manager Zulkifli told Antara news agency that 137 of 186registered passengers were flown to Jakarta on Friday at 10 a.m. after an hourdelay using a substitute plane.

TheAirbus took a U-turn after two explosions were heard from the left wing of theaircraft, shortly after it took off at 6:55 p.m. local time on Thursday.

Pilotedby Capt. Muhammad Arfan, the plane hovered around Pekanbaru sky for about oneand a half hours to drain the fuel tank. Arfan said he took the decision tominimize the possibility of an accident during landing.

Zulkiflisaid passengers who agreed to stay overnight were given Rp 350,000 each tocover their hotel and local transportation fees.

Thecause of the blasts is being investigated.

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UFO disrupts air traffic in east China

English.news.cn 2010-07-08 11:14:50

A photo taken by a resident in Hangzhou shows an unidentified flying object hovering over Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, late Wednesday, July 7, 2010. [Photo/Metro Express]

HANGZHOU,July 8 (Xinhua) -- An unidentified flying object disrupted air traffic over Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, late Wednesday, the municipal government said Thursday.

Xiaoshan Airport was closed after the UFO was detected at around 9 p.m. and some flights were rerouted to airports in Ningbo and Wuxi cities, said an airport spokesman.

The airport had resumed operations and more details would be revealed after an investigation, he said.

Editor:Han Jingjing

An unidentified flying object disrupted air traffic over Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, late Wednesday, the municipal government said Thursday. Xiaoshan Airport was closed after the UFO was detected at around 9 pm and some flights were rerouted to airports in Ningbo and Wuxi cities, said an airport spokesman. The airport had resumed operations and more details would be revealed after an investigation, he said. (Photo: people.com.cn)

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Transport Department: Europe Lifts Flight Ban on Two Carriers

Tempo Interactive, Thursday, 01 July, 2010 | 16:45 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Transport Department claimed today that two indonesian carriers had been given permission to fly to Europe after Garuda Indonesia, the prime and state flagship carrier resumed its flight to Europe earlier this month.

More than a week after the latest meeting between the Transport Department and the European Commission to negotiate flight ban on the remaining Indonesia-based airlines, Director General of Air Transport Herry Bhakti Gumay said today (1/7) flight ban on Air Asia and Batavia Air has been lifted, while ban on Lion Air remains.

Herry said it was the result of the meeting though the European Aviation Safety Agency is yet to officially announce the revoke. He said announcement is expected in two weeks as the agency need to report first to the European Parliament.

European flight licenses of several Indonesian airlines were revoked in 2007 after a series of deadly crash, including one into the sea, which killed hundreds, left hundreds missing, and injured hundreds other on board and ground.

ADISTI DINI INDRESWARI

Military Exercise Plane Crashes and Burns at Bali's Airport

Jakarta Globe, Made Arya Kencana, June 24, 2010

A KT-1Wong Bee plane, in this file photo, crashed at Bali's Ngurah Rai airport, butboth occupants had safely ejected before impact. (Photo courtesy of TNI AU)

A KT-1Woong Bee exercise plane crashed and burned at the eastern tip of Bali's IGusti Ngurah Rai Airport.

Thepilot Maj. Andi Wijanarko and its passenger, Udayana's Regional MilitaryCommander Maj. Gen. Rachmad Budianto ejected themselves to safety.

Theplane, flown by Maj. Andi Wijanarko, was one of five exercise planes in a“Terbang Gembira” (“Joy Flight”) activity in Bali.

Witnessessaid that the plane crashed when it was about to land at the airport afterperforming an aerobatic maneuver.

Theactivity was to introduce the KT-1 Wong Bee to the Bali government. The planeitself is normally used to train Air Force pilots.

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Garuda appeals court verdict, calls fines baseless

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 06/18/2010 10:40 AM

National airline company PT Garuda Indonesia filed on Thursday an appeal at the Central Jakarta District Court against a verdict forcing the company to pay Rp 187 billion (US$20.38 million) in compensation and fines for price fixing.

“The verdict is baseless and we therefore officially reject the decision,” Garuda’s lawyer, Erry Heriawan, told reporters after submitting the appeal at the court.

Another lawyer for Garuda, Yogi Sudrajat, said the Indonesian Business Supervisory Commission (KPPU) had not provided sufficient evidence Garuda had colluded with other airlines in fixing fuel surcharges imposed on passengers.

“The KPPU accused us of conspiring with other airlines in fixing the fuel surcharge. We can prove that Garuda’s fuel surcharges were totally different from those imposed by other airlines,” he added.

He said that in 2006, the Transportation Ministry had suggested airline companies impose similar fuel surcharges for a three-month period. “However, the agreement was cancelled after the KPPU opposed the plan,” Yogi said.

In May, the KPPU accused nine local airline companies of price fixing, landing customers with total additional costs of Rp 13.84 trillion (US$1.5 billion).

The guilty airlines are Sriwijaya Air, Merpati Nusantara Airlines, Mandala Airlines, Travel Express Aviation Service, Lion Mentari Airlines, Wings Abadi Airlines, Metro Batavia and Kartika Airlines.

For the offence, the airliners were required to pay a total penalty of Rp 585 billion, which comprises Rp 80 billion in fines and Rp 505 billion in compensation.

Garuda must pay a fine of Rp 25 billion and compensation of Rp 162 billion, Sriwijaya (Rp 9 billion and Rp 60 billion), Merpati (Rp 8 billion and Rp 53 billion), Mandala (Rp 5 billion and Rp 31 billion), Travel Express (Rp 1 billion and Rp 1.9 billion), Lion (Rp 17 billion and Rp 107 billion), Wings (Rp 5 billion and Rp 32.5 billion), Metro (Rp 9 billion and Rp 56 billion), and Kartika (Rp 1 billion and Rp 1.6 billion).

Illegal transport helps residents out

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 06/16/2010 10:58 AM

Illegal public vehicles in certain parts of the city attract many passengers as they are the only affordable means of transportation available.

Nia Aulia, a passenger, said that the illegal public minivans, dubbed mobil tuyul (mischievous spirit vehicles), which served the route between Cengkareng-Kamal, West Jakarta (about 10 kilometers), was the only alternative for her as there was no public vehicles serving the route. “Residents here really need them,” she said.

The Bina Sarana Informatika academy student, who takes illegal minivans every day, said she only pays Rp 2,000 (22 US cents) for one trip, which is similar to the fare of a mikrolet (public minivan). The illegal minivans operate 24 hours a day, with full occupation during rush hour in the morning (between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m.) and in the afternoon (between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.).

Milus, who uses a rented car with a capacity of 12 passengers, can earn between Rp 30,000 and Rp 100,000 per day after paying the rent fee and buying the fuel. The daily rent fee is Rp 70,000, while a mikrolet driver has to pay between Rp 110,000 and Rp 120,000.

“My income depends largely on passengers’ movements. Sometimes, even though the car is full, I can earn less because many passengers stop in nearby places,” he said.

Udin, another driver, said that he set the fare as low as Rp 1,000 for a short-distance trip and did not charge children accompanied by adults. “I only charge adults, not children,” said Udin, who drives his own car. Udin said illegal vehicles had operated in the area since the 1970s. There are around 500 illegal minivans operating along the Cengkareng-Kamal route, passing Taman Palem Lestari, Menceng, and Tegal Alur, which are not served by other public vehicles. Illegal public vehicles can also be found in many other parts of the city.

Taswin, a driver serving the route of Pasar Semanan in Kalideres to the ABC intersection in Duri Kosambi, West Jakarta, said that he could earn more than Rp 200,000 per day. “But it depends on the season. For example, today I have had less passengers as school students are on holiday,” he said.

Taswin, who drives a new Suzuki minivan, said that he used some of the money to pay monthly installments, which cost him around Rp 1 million. He has three other cars and rents them out to his relatives. Having been in the business for about 10 years, Taswin said today around 300 minivans operate there. “Thankfully I have never been netted by the police,” he said, adding that some of his fellow-drivers had been raided and were required to pay more than Rp 100,000 each. He also claimed that drivers paid daily “security fees” of Rp 5,000 to thugs who “ruled” the area. However, during police operations they did not demand anything, he said.

The Land Transportation Division of West Jakarta Transportation Sub-agency head, P. Baihaqi, said that his office did not have the authority to take any action against illegal public vehicles in the area. “We only deal with legal public vehicles, while the illegal ones should be handled by the police,” he said.

Baihaqi claimed that his office had cooperated with the police to address the issue several years ago.

“However, the police didn’t really support us. They worried that banning the operation of illegal vehicles would incite social unrest,” he said. (lnd)

With a touch down in Amsterdam, Garuda enters a new era

Primastuti Handayani, The Jakarta Post, Amsterdam | Sun, 06/06/2010 10:04 AM

With a six-year flying ban to Europe finally lifted, national carrier Garuda Indonesia relaunched its Jakarta to Amsterdam direct service this week, inviting government officials, legislators, businesspeople and journalists on the voyage that marked the beginning of a new era for the airline.

For captain pilot Ari Sapari, who flow the GA088 Jakarta to Amsterdam flight on June 1, the event was a proud moment. “It brought back memories of when I flew Garuda before we stopped the operation six years ago,” he said.

When the Airbus A330-200 touched down at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, the passengers on board applauded the flight deck for a smooth landing. Excitement turned to outright delight when two fire trucks from the local fire brigade began showering the aircraft with water — a ritual at the airport when an airline makes its maiden arrival there.

Ari, an executive vice president for operations at Garuda and a presidential pilot, said he was very proud of having been given the opportunity to pilot the maiden flight marking Garuda’s return to Europe. Garuda stopped flying to Europe in late 2004 to cut costs.

The carrier was then banned three years later from flying to Europe after the European Union imposed a flight ban on Indonesian airlines following a string of air accidents and heightened security measures.

For Wiyati, an Indonesian living in the small town of Schellinkhout and the owner of Waq travel agency, Garuda’s return means she now has more options to offer clients.

“We usually fly our guests to Indonesia using Singapore Airlines and Emirates but now we have Garuda so we can offer them an alternative. The air fare [of Garuda] is cheaper,” Wiyati said.

Garuda prices a Jakarta-Amsterdam round trip ticket at US$1,450. Currently, as part of a promotion for new customers, Garuda is offering a buy-one-get-one free policy.

Garuda president and chief executive officer Emirsyah Satar said he was upbeat the new route would receive a warm welcome in Europe, adding that plans were already in place to add new routes to other cities, including Frankfurt, London, Paris and Rome.

After struggling with a $900 million debt five years ago, Garuda has gradually turned around its finances and returned to profit.

Part of its recent success can be contributed to its recently launched “Quantum Leap” strategy that will increase the number of its aircraft to 116 in 2014, and sets a target of 27.6 million passengers in 2014 from 10.3 million in 2008. The airline expects to increased operating revenue to Rp 57.9 trillion in 2014 from Rp 18.1 trillion in 2008.

Emirsyah promised that passengers would benefit from improved service on flights, thanks to an overhaul of its flight service under the slogan “Garuda Experience”.

“It is an experience that as soon as passengers board the aircraft they can feel that they are in Indonesia through our hospitality and services,” he said.

And Garuda has gone the extra mile to realize a superior service, he said. Upon entering the aircraft, passengers are welcomed by flight attendants wearing a new kebaya-inspired uniform consisting of a blouse and a batik long skirt designed by Josephine “Obin” Komara, brandishing colors orange, turquoise and blue.

However, Garuda has some work to do improve passenger comfort. The newly upholstered seats on the aircraft could not recline fully — a complaint voiced by several passengers. However, a 25-movie individual entertainment system displayed on mini screens embedded in the backs of the seats’ headrests goes some way to distract passengers from the frustratingly restrictive seats.

Luckily, Garuda food paints a favorable impression of Indonesian cuisine. In collaboration with culinary expert William Wongso, Garuda offers nasi kuning (yellow rice with side dishes) for dinner and nasi goreng (fried rice) for breakfast. There is also an international menu on flights leaving the country from Jakarta.

As part of an effort to lure passengers from Europe, the government collaborated with Garuda to allow passengers to receive on-arrival visas while in the air.

However, there are still many t’s to be crossed and i’s to be dotted before Garuda can truly claim to be able to compete with the world’s major carriers.

Since recently receiving a four-star rating from Skytrax, a United Kingdom-based research company that specializes in commercial airlines, Garuda has built a cooperation with KLM and is mulling joining the Skyteam airline alliance.

However, Emirsyah said, improvements should not only come from Garuda’s side. He said it was no less important for Indonesia’s international airports to improve their facilities and services.

W Java traffic accidents kill thousands

Antara News, Sunday, June 6, 2010 03:11 WIB

Bandung, W Java (ANTARA News) - West Java Province lost 4,098 people in traffic accidents last year. Eighty percent of them were in the productive ages, West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan said.

"The West Java police reported that last year`s traffic accident death toll reached 4,098 people. Eighty percent of them were in productive ages," he said here Saturday.

Besides killing 4,098 people, the 2009 traffic accidents had also caused at least 3,000 others to get injured, he said.

Ironically, 75 percent of the traffic accident victims were motorists while the remaining 25 percent were car drivers, he said.

Governor Ahmad Heryawan said traffic accidents remained the biggest causes of death in the world.

More than 1.2 million people were killed on roads every year. Ninety percent happened in developing countries, he said.

In reducing the traffic accident cases in West Java, Heryawan asked the police to intensify the campaigns of their "police as children`s friend" program.

Through the program, children could have been educated about safe traffic from their early ages, he said.

Governor Ahmad Heryawan said creating highly-disciplined traffic users in his province and Indonesia was not only the government`s responsibility but also that of other stakeholders.

The children, who received the police`s socialization program, were expected to have safe traffic behavior when they became aduts, he said.

US cargo aircraft arrives in Bali ahead of Obama’s visit

Desy Nurhayati, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali | Wed, 06/02/2010 7:28 PM

Before the visit: A US cargo plane carrying logistic needs for the visit of President Barack Obama lands on Ngurah Rai International Airport in Kuta, Bali, on Wednesday. Obama has confirmed his plan to visit Bali in the next two weeks. JP/Zul Trio Anggono

A US Air Force cargo plane carrying logistical needs for the visit of President Barack Obama landed at the Ngurah Rai air base in the Bali capital of Denpasar on Wednesday.

The Boeing C-17 Globemaster crews were seen unloading forklifts and other heavy equipment from the aircraft as soon as it touched down at around 5 p.m. local time.

Security at the air base was tightened as the plane arrived, with journalists given no access to the US Air Force officers.

Air base commander Lt. Col. Aldrin P. Mongan refused to comment when contacted by the press, saying he would give an official statement later.

Bali governor Made Mangku Pastika has confirmed Obama’s trip to the island in about two weeks. Obama is slated to visit Besakih temple, Uluwatu temple and Udayana University campus in Jimbaran.

The first phase of the MRT construction to be extended by one kilometer

Indah Setiawati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 06/01/2010 7:58 PM | Jakarta

PT MRT has planned to add an underground station in the construction of the South-North network of the first phase of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), raising the number of station to 13 linking Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta to Hotel Indonesia (HI) traffic circle in Central Jakarta.

The additional station will extend the route by about one kilometer after previously the company planned to build only 12 stations in a 14.3-kilometer line linking Lebak Bulus to Dukuh Atas.

“We consider the space in Dukuh Atas as too crowded. Besides, the additional length of network in HI traffic circle will attract a greater number of passengers,” PT MRT director Tribudi said.

He said he had not estimated the additional budget allocation for the station yet.

Tribudi further said the second phase of MRT construction would link HI traffic circle to Kampong Bandan in North Jakarta.

“We target to finish the first phase construction by the end of 2016, while the second phase construction in 2020,” he added.