42 Unroadworthy Buses Grounded

Jakarta (Antara) - The Pulogadung bus terminal authorities in East Jakarta have found 42 unroadworthy buses since August 1 or seven days ahead of the Muslim holiday of Lebaran. "We found 11 of 42 buses checked to be unroadworthy on Thursday, 24 of 51 buses on Friday and 7 of 21 buses on Saturday. We have asked the unroadworthy buses to be grounded," spokesman of the bus terminal Kuswandi said here on Saturday. Buses which did not meet the test standard were not allowed to operate, he said. "We submit the result of the check to the terminal's chief to decide," he said. The check covered glass, fire extinguisher, wheel bolts, wheels, speedometer, exhaust gas emissions, lights, window wipers and brake system, he said. "The cases which are mostly found during the check include cracked glass windows, absence of safety aid and rotten vehicle body. We put stickers on roadworthy buses and X mark on the left side of bus tires and issue certificate of unroadworthiness to the bus drivers," he said. Group head of the bus terminal Djoko Purnomo said no unroadworty buses are allowed to operate at the terminal. "Unroadworthy buses must be grounded or replaced with roadworthy buses," he said. (*)