Recent unrest still haunting 'ojek' drivers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Motorcycle taxi (ojek) drivers, who used to work
\nnear the Jati Bening toll road in Bekasi, were apparently still
\ntoo scared to work there Saturday, two days after a riot there.<\/p>\n
Only three ojek were waiting for passengers, far from the toll
\nroad's exit at 2 p.m. Saturday.<\/p>\n
Dozens of the drivers became angry Thursday night when police
\nand toll road security officers stopped public buses from
\ndropping passengers near the exit.<\/p>\n
The riot started at about 7 p.m. when one of the regular ojek
\ndrivers was given a traffic ticket.<\/p>\n
As the officer took the driver off to a nearby police station,
\nthe other drivers began shouting at police and stoning toll
\nbooths and cars.<\/p>\n
In the melee some passing cars were damaged, and most went
\nthrough the toll without paying.<\/p>\n
Police and soldiers gained control of the situation at about
\n10 p.m.<\/p>\n
Safrudin, 40, said Saturday that the income he made as an ojek
\ndriver had dropped from an average Rp 20,000 (US$8.30) to Rp
\n7,500 a day since the riot.<\/p>\n
He said no public buses had dropped passengers there since the
\nriot, so there were no customers for the ojek drivers.<\/p>\n
Another driver, Suhanda, said some drivers had moved to Kali
\nMalang because they were afraid of the police.<\/p>\n
Suhanda said only a few of the rioters were ojek drivers.<\/p>\n
"I don't know where the others came from. They were probably
\nlocals or drivers from nearby areas," he said.<\/p>\n
City Police Spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said that eight
\npeople, only two were ojek drivers, were arrested for throwing
\nstones.<\/p>\n
At least four toll booths were damaged and a police car's
\nwindows were shattered in the riot, Aritonang said.<\/p>\n
State-owned toll road operator PT Jasa Marga Spokesman David
\nWijayatno said the riot was caused by people who were
\ndisappointed because the public buses were stopped from dropping
\npassengers at the exit.<\/p>\n
David said the buses were stopped from dropping passengers in
\nan attempt to uphold Government Regulation No. 8\/1990, because
\nthe practice caused traffic jams.<\/p>\n
Some motorists said traffic jams were also caused by people
\nhanding out pamphlets at the exit, about a housing complex.<\/p>\n
They were allowed to hand out their pamphlets there because
\nthey had paid an official, motorists alleged.<\/p>\n
Ojek were needed in the area as it had several housing
\ncomplexes including Jati Bening Indah, Pondok Cikunir Indah and
\nTaman Bougenvile, locals said.<\/p>\n
A Jati Bening Permai housewife said she preferred to get off
\nat the Jati Bening exit and take an ojek because it was far
\ncloser to her house than getting off in Bekasi.<\/p>\n
She said she wanted to take the regular public transportation
\nvehicles on Jl. Kali Malang near the Cikampek toll road, but the
\nheavy traffic there put her off. (jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/recent-unrest-still-haunting-ojek-drivers-1447893297",
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