Pedicab drivers protest against restrictive bylaw<\/p>\n
Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung<\/p>\n
More than 300 pedicab drivers staged a protest on Wednesday
\noutside the Bandung municipal council building here, demanding
\nthat the government revoke a bylaw that bans pedicab drivers from
\noperating in 15 areas in the city.<\/p>\n
As part of the protest, they pedaled their pedicabs together
\nfrom downtown Bandung to the Bandung council building. Emotions
\nran high and pedicab drivers were soon locked in a quarrel with
\nsecurity personnel blocking the council building. The drivers
\nonce tried to unsuccessfully break through the cordon of security
\npersonnel.<\/p>\n
Mae Ara, a pedicab driver, said they had faced hardships since
\na bylaw that banned pedicab operations was issued a month ago.
\nThe bylaw prohibits the pedicab drivers from operating in 15
\nspots in the city, including several streets near the center of
\nthe city.<\/p>\n
After the bylaw was issued, Bandung Public Order officials
\nhave enforced the bylaw and prevented the pedicab drivers from
\noperating in the designated areas.<\/p>\n
As a result, the pedicab drivers lost a good portion of their
\nincome as most of the prohibited streets were lucrative areas,
\nsaid Mae, who has been a pedicab driver for the past 20 years.<\/p>\n
The bylaw rules that no one is allowed to ride or drive a
\npedicab in designated areas in the city and if they violate the
\nbylaw they shall pay a fine of Rp 250,000 (US$25). If they
\nviolate the bylaw for a second time, they will be sentenced to a
\nmaximum of three years in jail or pay a maximum fine of Rp 50
\nmillion. \"The bylaw has not taken the side of the people,\" said
\nanother pedicab driver Ade Sulaiman.<\/p>\n
In the protest, the pedicab drivers gave speeches, mainly
\ncondemning the bylaw and demanded its revocation.<\/p>\n
Separately, councillor Ade Koesjanto said the bylaw was final
\nand could not be revoked. It had been agreed to by the Bandung
\nmayor and councillors, he said.<\/p>\n
The bylaw was issued after growing demands from the public to
\nban pedicabs from operating in several streets in the city as
\nthey were considered the culprits behind traffic jams in Bandung.
\n\"The pedicab drivers are undisciplined,\" said Koesjanto.<\/p>\n
However, in view of the strong protests from the pedicab
\ndrivers, Koesjanto promised that he would open negotiations with
\nthe government in order to reduce the areas where the pedicab
\ndrivers were barred from operating.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pedicab-drivers-protest-against-restrictive-bylaw-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}