Airport cab drivers protest collusion

TANGERANG (JP): Hundreds of taxi drivers licensed to operate out of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport protested about the operation of unofficial taxies at the airport and the corrupt security officials who assist them yesterday.

The drivers, who came from various taxi companies, parked their cabs in the terminal one and two parking lot.

The protest, which began at 10 a.m., did not have a severe impact on traffic because of the limited number of passengers arriving at the airport at that time.

A driver from Gading taxi, who asked for anonymity, said the number of unofficial taxies operating out of the airport had jumped to about 450, causing a sharp decrease in income for licensed taxi drivers.

"The unofficial taxies have been operating here for quite a long time. They fearlessly take passengers who are supposed to be ours," he said.

The drivers lost patience and decided to stage a protest to demand that steps to sanction the unlicensed taxies be taken.

The unofficial taxis are poaching work from licensed cabs to an extent that many drivers who would formerly make two or three trips from Jakarta to the airport every day now only make a single journey.

"It's very hard on us because taxi rental payments remain at Rp 80,000 a day," he said.

He explained that the number of official airport taxis had dropped from 1,000 to 300.

The drivers also complained about unofficial drivers who operate taxis without airport stickers but are allowed to pick up fares because they pay a small fee to the duty security officers.

"Some 'naughty' unlicensed drivers pick up passengers and quietly slip a backhander to the security officer on duty," a President taxi driver said, adding that this method was much cheaper than purchasing an airport taxi sticker.

The drivers also complained about the high cost of identification cards that must be worn at the airport, he said.

He said they had to pay Rp 20,000 for an ID card officially priced at Rp 7,500.

Suryono, head of security at state-owned airport management company Perum Angkasa Pura II, which manages Soekarno-Hatta airport, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

"Suryono is out in the field," a member of staff at the airport said.

Separately, more than 4,000 of the 12,000 strong PT Gajah Tunggal workforce went on strike yesterday demanding that the tire manufacturing company gradually increase their salaries.

The workers said the company had postponed salary increases planned for this month because of the economic crisis.

They said the company had first agreed to raise their salaries last October and then again in June, but only the first increase had taken place.

Head of Tangerang office of the Ministry of Manpower Apon Suryana and local councillor Gusti Rustam were jeered by the workers when they arrived at the company's factory to mediate in the dispute. (41/jun)