Drivers queried after rally over illegal fees<\/p>\n
Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung<\/p>\n
Bandung Police is questioning more than 40 crews of container
\ntrucks after a rally they held to protest widespread levies and
\ndemand a whole day of access to Padalarang toll road ended in
\nviolence on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Edwardsyah Pernong said the truck
\ndrivers and their assistants were accused of causing a public
\ndisturbance as their protest caused traffic congestion and
\nincited a clash between carriage drivers and local residents.<\/p>\n
At least three truck drivers were injured in the fight, one of
\nthem, Hartono, was rushed to Sartika Asih Hospital due to serious
\nwounds.<\/p>\n
The protesters, who were grouped under the Indonesian Port
\nTransportation Labor Union (SBTPI), complained about levies
\ndemanded by police patrolling the toll road between Padalarang
\nand Sadang. It was the second protest in the past two months.<\/p>\n
The West Java Land Traffic Transportation Agency, confirming a
\n1993 decree issued by the minister of transportation, has banned
\ncontainers from traveling on the Padalarang toll road during
\ndaylight hours because they caused traffic jams.<\/p>\n
SBTPI secretary-general Teguh Susilo said the police had taken
\nadvantage of the regulation by demanding levies amounting to
\nbetween Rp 50,000 (US$5.5) and Rp 200,000 from errant container
\ntruck drivers.<\/p>\n
Another driver, Deden Fachrurozi, said most employers refused
\nto reimburse the levies. \"If we have to regularly pay the levies
\nourselves, how can we can afford to eat?\" he said.<\/p>\n
Teguh said the partial ban imposed on containers did not make
\nany sense because nobody could restrict shipping arrangements,
\nwhich are dependent upon exports.<\/p>\n
\"We have to quietly operate during the day to avoid fines from
\nforeign importers who always demand swift service. But the police
\nhave taken advantage of this situation,\" Teguh said.<\/p>\n
Bandung Police allows the containers to use the toll road
\nbetween 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. every day from Monday to Friday and
\nbetween 9 a.m. and 12 noon every Sunday. Containers are banned on
\nSaturdays.<\/p>\n
Deden said traveling at night was risky as the drivers could
\nfall asleep or face street robbers.<\/p>\n
A previous protest was left unheeded because both the police
\nand the provincial legislature found the restriction on
\ncontainers had helped ease traffic on the toll road.<\/p>\n
Police fired warning shots to disperse the warring groups on
\nTuesday. Pernong said the clash could have been avoided had the
\nprotesting truck drivers ended their rally, as demanded by
\ncarriage drivers operating close to the access road, who feared a
\ndrop in revenue.<\/p>\n
The protest began at around 2 a.m. after the drivers returned
\nfrom Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/drivers-queried-after-rally-over-illegal-fees-1447893297",
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