Not so small a problem<\/p>\n
On the face of it, it might seem that of all the requirements
\nset out in the new traffic law, closing doors should be one of
\nthe easiest for city bus crews to comply with. That this is not
\nso, however, should be clear to anyone who has been on the
\nstreets of Jakarta in the past few days. To protest the
\nregulation, hundreds of minibus crew members yesterday staged a
\nbrief and peaceful strike at the Tanjung Priok bus terminal,
\nwhile hundreds of their colleagues in the Kota area also
\nprotested.<\/p>\n
As of yesterday, except for the more upscale air-conditioned
\nPatas express buses which carry a limited number of passengers
\nand make fewer stops, many buses continued dashing through the
\nstreets with their doors open, picking up and dropping off
\npassengers even where they are not even supposed to stop. This
\nhappens most on streets that the bus drivers know are not usually
\nwatched or patrolled by traffic police, but such scenes are not
\nuncommon on major thoroughfares either.<\/p>\n
As has been reported, the requirement for buses to keep their
\ndoors closed was supposed to have come into effect on the first
\nof this month. However, to accommodate the wishes of bus crews
\nand owners and to give them more time to prepare, Jakarta's
\npolice authorities decided to be lenient and allow bus and mini-
\nbus crews a few days of grace.<\/p>\n
One might suspect that the possibility of unwanted reactions
\nfrom bus crews and owners helped persuade the authorities to be
\nlenient, although officials have denied this. When asked by
\nreporters about the possibility of boycotts by bus owners
\nprotesting against the closed-door regulation, the head of the
\nCity Traffic and Land Transportation Control Office, JP Sepang,
\nwas reported to have retorted that the authorities were not
\nafraid of any retaliatory acts "because there are still many bus
\ncompanies waiting in line for operation permits."<\/p>\n
Such arguments aside, however, one question worth asking is:
\nWhat is it that makes it so difficult for bus crews and owners to
\ncomply with the regulation to drive with closed doors? From the
\nauthorities' point of view, of course the benefits of requiring
\nbuses and minibuses to drive with closed doors are obvious. For
\ninstance, driving with closed doors forces the vehicles to make
\ntheir stops at the proper bus stops, thus reducing traffic
\nobstructions along the road. It also reduces the possibility of
\nunsavory elements taking a ride on buses and robbing or harassing
\nthe passengers.<\/p>\n
For the bus crews and owners, on the other hand, complying
\nwith the regulation may mean a substantial reduction in income.
\nAs one bus conductor told this newspaper: "Other regulations we
\ncan observe, but not closing the doors." Among the regular
\nexcuses bus crews put forward is that buses usually have only one
\nconductor, but two doors. Also, some crews claim that the new
\npolicy only creates more loopholes that unscrupulous officials
\ncan use in order to extort more money from them.<\/p>\n
All of those arguments, on both sides, may of course be true.
\nThe problem is, now that the ruling has been officially declared
\nto be in effect, what should be done in the case that more
\nprotests do erupt and a temporary shortage in public
\ntransportation means results? We hope there is substance in
\nSepang's assurance that the authorities are not afraid because
\n"there are still many bus companies waiting in line for operating
\npermits."<\/p>\n
In any case, it will certainly not be easy to properly control
\nbus crews' compliance with the closed-door regulation. On the
\nother hand the authorities are now committed to see their
\nmeasures through. Perhaps the easiest thing to do is to strictly
\ncontrol compliance along the city's major thoroughfares first and
\nfrom there expand the campaign throughout the city. For certain,
\nas far as the consumers of the services are concerned, it would
\nbe admirable if the regulation could be properly enforced.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/not-so-small-a-problem-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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