157 traffic law violators ticketed

157 traffic law violators ticketed

JAKARTA (JP): The City Police ticketed at least 157 traffic
regulation violators on the first day of 1995, a year which
promises stricter enforcement of traffic laws on a number of
roads throughout the city.

Speaking to reporters in the evening, City Police spokesman
Lt. Col. Bambang Haryoko said that the figure was collected from
four of the eight police subprecincts and a team of patrolmen.

"The other four subprecincts, namely Central Jakarta, Depok,
Bekasi and Tangerang have yet to inform us of their outcome as
of 3 p.m. today," Bambang said.

According to him, 45 out of the 157 violators were ticketed in
West Jakarta, 34 in North Jakarta, 21 in East Jakarta and 15 in
South Jakarta and the remaining 42 were ticketed by patrolmen.

"About 40 percent of the violators are drivers of public
transportation vehicles who disobeyed the closed-door policy,"
Bambang explained.

The others included motorists using no helmets and drivers whose
vehicles failed to meet up to code standards, he added.

Under the new law enforcement system on selected roads, locally
called Kawasan Tertib Lalu Lintas, offenders will be asked to appear
before the courts and then fined accordingly. The fine scale is
quite harsh for the average motorist and has a maximum fine of Rp 6
million (US$2,745).

The controversial traffic law No. 14 was issued two years ago but
was not enforced until yesterday. Under the new law, violators must
appear in court themselves. Previously, violators were punished
according to a lower ticketing fine scale, ranging between Rp 10,000
and Rp 150,000 per case and were allowed have someone stand in for
them at their trials.

Jaywalkers

During the first day of the enforcement yesterday, a number of
jaywalkers, including non-Jakartans, were also netted after trying
to cross the streets against the traffic light.

The police only issued strong warnings to the non-Jakartan
violators but seized the identity cards of Jakartans.

As of last evening, a total of 15 jaywalkers of Jakarta residents
were netted on Jl. Thamrin and were asked to come to the City Police
Headquarters on Jl. Sudirman to take back their ID cards.

There has been no confirmation about the type of punishment the
violators will face.

A number of violators argued that they crossed the roads on the
sites because the pedestrian bridges and zebra crossings were too
far away.

"That's why I just followed the other people to cross the street,"
said Marsitoh, 21, an employee at the Sogo shopping center.

Yesterday, only a few personnel were deployed on the selected
roads to enforce the new ticketing system.

Among the locations with a larger police presence were the city's
main roads Jl. Thamrin and Jl. Sudirman.

At the circle near Ratu Plaza shopping center in South Jakarta,
for example, police in the morning ticketed those motorists driving
on Jl. Sudirman who turned right on to Jl. Hang Lekir I. This action
is forbidden during the morning hours.

"But, how can I see such a small sign over there?" plead one
flummoxed violator.

A few minutes later an Army truck passed by, violating the sign,
but the police could only stare at the passing green truck.

"We couldn't ticket such a vehicle. It's the task of the military
police of the army to stop the driver," commented head of the City
Traffic Police Directorate Col. Soeroso.

However, head of the City Military Police Col. Anwaruddin opposed
Soeroso's stand.

"Even the traffic police have the right to stop such a delinquent
Army driver," he said. "The case will be handed over later to their
supervisors." (bsr)