Airport taxi drivers stop work temporarily

Airport taxi drivers stop work temporarily

TANGERANG (JP): About 300 taxi drivers authorized to operate
at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport went on strike yesterday
after two fleet vehicles were badly damaged by a rival,
unlicensed driver.

But the matter was resolved and drivers were back behind the
wheel after a few hours thanks to the action of airport police,
the military and security officers.

The head of airport security, Mubiyanto, also promised to take
strong action against drivers of unlicensed taxis or vehicles
without airport stickers. Such vehicles are not allowed to pick
up passengers within the airport compound.

At least three authorized drivers suffered minor head wounds
and other injuries after the troublemaker started throwing stones
at them.

The official taxi drivers claimed that a group of unauthorized
drivers became angry yesterday morning following a heated
argument between Hutauruk, the driver of a President taxi, and
another man.

Hutauruk, 45, said the argument concerned passengers at the
airport's Terminal C.

The driver of a minibus, which did not have an airport
sticker, was attempting to entice a passenger when Hutauruk
offered his service.

The man became furious and smashed the taxi's windows with
stones.

One of Hutauruk's colleagues from Gading Taxi, Hardi, tried to
settle the dispute but the man damaged his taxi too before
fleeing.

Hutauruk and Hardi gave chase but they had to turn back
because dozens of the man's friends had gathered along the
airport's boundary.

"Some of them threatened to damage any of the licensed taxis
heading out of the airport," Hardi said.

The threats of intimidation prompted the 300 drivers to stop
work until airport security personnel could guarantee their
safety.

The drivers also demanded that the security officers crack
down on hundreds of unlicensed taxis operating at the airport.

Authorized drivers said they deserved better treatment and
protection because they had to pay annual taxes of Rp 150,000
(US$43,16), a further Rp 3,000 for a driver ID card and a Rp
1,200 parking fee every time they entered the airport.

"What role is the airport management playing," he said. "(The
management) wants us to pay that amount of money but the number
of taxis operating illegally continues to increase, making
competition (for passengers) turn nasty," one of the drivers
said. (41/04)