Bogor’s Biskita Transpakuan Controversy Draws Attention of Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs
The temporary suspension of the Biskita Transpakuan program has raised eyebrows, with Wakil Menteri Dalam Negeri (Wamendagri), Bima Arya, taking notice. He even visited the scene post-suspension to assess the situation of the affected citizens and also experienced the newly deployed Bus Uncal by Bogor City Hall to fill the void left by Biskita Transpakuan on Mondays.
Bima expressed his sympathy for the confusion caused to the public by the temporary halt of the Biskita Transpakuan program. He revealed that the stoppage had led to a surge of comments from citizens on social media platforms.
"I’m truly sorry to hear about this. I could feel the struggle of the residents. I visited them, students, housewives, everyone is facing difficulties. Whatever the reason behind this, the service needs to resume operations immediately," said Bima, a former mayor of Bogor.
Bima stated that the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Kementerian Dalam Negeri – Kemendagri) would take the initiative to help resolve the dispute surrounding the Biskita Transpakuan service. This isn’t just limited to Bogor but will extend to other municipalities and regencies as well.
Kemendagri will invite representatives from all cities and regencies that have Biskita services to discuss the issues they’re facing, mainly concerning planning, budgeting, and the commitment of the elected mayors to ensure the continuity of the program.
For Bogor City specifically, Bima believes that the Biskita Transpakuan controversy should not have occurred. He added that the service should still be receiving subsidies from the central government for the next few years. Furthermore, the APBD isn’t in a position to continue the BTS program independently.
Bima suspects that the discontinuation might be due to communication issues between Bogor City Hall and the Ministry of Transportation (Kementerian Perhubungan – Kemenhub). He disclosed that the newly elected mayor of Bogor, Dedie A Rachim, had already contacted and met with the Minister of Transportation, and they agreed to continue the BTS program in Bogor. However, due to a previous decision not to extend the program, budget adjustments are necessary.
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