Angry mob attacks government office

Angry mob attacks government office

TANGERANG (JP): Dozens of local public transit drivers
destroyed the offices of the Tangerang Revenue Office in front of
the Karawaci-Kebon Jeruk exit tollgate on Jl. Karawaci Raya here
yesterday morning.

All six of the on-duty officers managed to escape unharmed.

On Monday and Tuesday, hundreds of the drivers parked their
minibuses in the middle of the nearby Jl. Kelapa Dua Raya
presenting grievances. They demanded that the authorities close
the new post, prohibit trucks and other heavy-weight vehicles
from plying the Jl. Kelapa Dua Raya and Jl. Bojong Nangka Raya
roads and immediately take action against trucks loading and
unloading sand everyday along the sides of the roads.

They claimed these three factors were the cause of congestion
and damage to the roads.

"We're tired of staging protests without any significant
results. We decided to demolish this post to let the authorities,
especially the Tangerang mayor, know that we're not just fooling
around about what we and local residents want," a protester,
whose name was withheld, told The Jakarta Post.

On Tuesday evening, the drivers were involved in a clash with
a truck driver who entered the forbidden roads.

Truck drivers will often enter the "off-limits" roads because
they are given tacit approvals by officers at another Revenue
Office post on Jl. Bojong Nangka. It is alleged that those
officers receive Rp 2,000 (US 93 cents) or more in bribes per
trip.

After destroying the post near the tollgate yesterday, the
protesters marched in a long line with their minibuses to bring
their complaints to the Tangerang council. (bsr)