"We have stopped the operations of the Zhongtong branded buses effective Monday, (March 9). We halted the operations in a bid to increase the safety and comfort of the passengers," Director of PT Transjakarta Antonius Kosasih stated here on Monday.
Kosasih noted that 30 Zhongtong branded buses are operated by Transjakarta, including the bus that caught fire on Gatot Subroto Street, Jakarta, on Sunday.
According to Kosasih, the company has ordered Zhongtong to inspect all its buses to avoid any future recurrence of a similar incident.
In order to serve the Pinang Ranti-Pluit route, the company is operating buses that are used for night shifts.
"We will operate buses that are used for night shifts to serve the Corridor 9 area. We will operate reconditioned buses that are in good condition," Kosasih added.
The director remarked that the company is investigating the cause of the fire in the bus that was manufactured by a Chinese automotive company.
Kosasih said the initial investigation indicated that the fire did not occur due to an electrical short circuit or flooding.
"The fire was most likely caused due to the overheating of the turbo equipment. It was not due to a short circuit or flooding that submerged the engine and led to a short circuit," Kosasih explained.
A Transjakarta bus caught fire on Sunday, at 7:25 a.m. local time. The incident led to a traffic jam in the area. No casualties were reported due to the fire incident.
(UU.B019/INE)
EDITED BY INE.
Editor: Suryanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2015
