Minivan drivers go on strike over illegal levy<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of mikrolet (public minivan) drivers
\nserving the Tanah Abang-Kebayoran Lama and Tanah Abang-Kebon
\nJeruk routes went on strike on Monday in protest over the
\napplication of a new illegal levy.<\/p>\n
The strike was held in stages as some drivers began to
\ndisappear from the streets at around 10 a.m. while others drove
\ntheir minivans back to their respective pools at around 12 a.m.<\/p>\n
The strike was also held in an unusual manner as the drivers
\ndidn't gather in certain places to air their grievances, but
\nmerely parked their minivans in their respective pools.<\/p>\n
The drivers said a new illegal levy was the reason for the
\nstrike.<\/p>\n
\"Since last week, members of the Union of Tanah Abang Big
\nFamily (IKBT) began to collect some money from the drivers,\"
\nRizal, an M-09 mikrolet driver plying the route from Tanah Abang
\nmarket in Central Jakarta to Kebayoran Lama market in South
\nJakarta, told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He said the union members collected Rp 2,000 (23 US cents) a
\nday from each driver.<\/p>\n
\"Previously, we always spent Rp 700 a day to pay for pak Ogah
\n(illegal traffic wardens), who operated on several spots in the
\nstreets surrounding the Tanah Abang market,\" said Rizal, who
\nparked his minivan on Jl. Jatibaru near the market.<\/p>\n
He said the drivers usually paid the illegal wardens between
\nRp 100 and Rp 300 everytime they entered the market area.<\/p>\n
\"The union members take Rp 2,000 per day from the drivers, but
\npak Ogah still operate on the streets despite a guarantee from
\nthe union that there will be no more pak Ogah as soon the new
\nlevy takes effect,\" he said, adding that the union members took
\nthe money from drivers twice a day: first in the morning and
\nagain in the afternoon.<\/p>\n
In return, the union issues tickets, each valued at Rp 1,000.<\/p>\n
The union members said the two centimeter by four centimeter
\npink and yellow tickets were to pay for \"security funds for
\npublic transportation in the Tanah Abang area.\"<\/p>\n
A senior union official Cipta Wahyudi said the funds were
\nneeded to establish harmony in the market, once dubbed as the
\nbiggest textile market in South East Asia.<\/p>\n
\"We are organizing the levies as they have often created
\ntension here,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Wahyudi dismissed speculation that illegal traffic wardens
\nstill operate in the streets.<\/p>\n
\"We have asked pak Ogah to work for us and prohibited them
\nfrom charging levies illegally,\" he said at the union's post on
\nJl. Jatibaru.<\/p>\n
He said the revenue would be used to pay for pak Ogah and for
\nthe welfare of the union members.<\/p>\n
\"As a consequence, we'll be ready to maintain security and
\norder here,\" said Wahyudi, head of IKBT's youth division.<\/p>\n
He said the union was ready to discuss the matter with the
\ndrivers.<\/p>\n
\"We're ready to seek a settlement of the matter,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The absence of minivans from the streets had created smooth
\ntraffic on Monday, but the move indeed left thousands of
\npassengers stranded.<\/p>\n
Suwarni and Mrs. Imam, who just met on Jl. Jembatan Tinggi
\nafter shopping at the Tanah Abang market, were forced to share a
\nbajaj (engine-driven tricycle taxi) to Slipi in West Jakarta.
\nSuwarni is a resident of the Kebayoran Lama district in South
\nJakarta, while Mrs. Imam is from the neighboring town of
\nTangerang.<\/p>\n
\"We've been waiting for half an hour, but no mikrolet are
\noperating here,\" said Suwarni.<\/p>\n
There were no traffic jams in front of the Palmerah market or
\nat the tip of Jl. Palmerah Utara in Slipi, the two spots of
\ntraffic congestion here, as no minivans were queuing on both
\nsites.<\/p>\n
Until 3 p.m, only two or three mikrolet passed the area, but
\nno passengers were transported.<\/p>\n
The absence of mikrolet benefited ojek (motorcycle taxi) and
\nbajaj drivers.<\/p>\n
Johan, an ojek driver who operates near the Slipi flyover,
\nsaid he earned big revenue during the strike.<\/p>\n
\"I usually get 20 to 30 passengers a day. But in half of the
\nday today, I have carried around 27 passengers,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said he no longer waited for passengers at the flyover.<\/p>\n
\"I was more active asking the stranded passengers if they
\nneeded my service,\" he said. (nvn\/asa)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/minivan-drivers-go-on-strike-over-illegal-levy-1447893297",
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