Authorities plan to crack down on motorcycle taxi
Authorities plan to crack down on motorcycle taxi
JAKARTA (JP): An official of the Ministry of Transportation
urged the city administration yesterday to launch a large-scale
operation against motorcycle riders offering a ride -- ojek --
for a fee.
As reported by the Antara news agency, A. Karim Tj., head of
the Jakarta chapter of the Ministry of Transportation said the
existence of these motorcycles, operating mainly at the entrances
of housing complexes in densely populated areas on the outskirts
of Jakarta, are illegal.
"Since they are illegal, the city administration has the
authority to phase them out and at the same time search for a way
to provide better transportation services to residents whose
areas are not served by buses or other public transport
vehicles," he said.
"Even though they are badly needed by local residents,
especially following the phasing out of the becak (pedicabs) in
the city, the existence of motorcycles used to transport
passengers cannot be legalized," he said.
The city government banned the operation of the becak in
residential areas throughout the city over the last few years on
the grounds that the vehicles, which are moved physically by
people, are not humane.
The ojek are completely out of line with Traffic Law No.
14/1992, Karim added.
He reiterated that the large-scale operation against ojek
drivers and against persons backing up their operations is badly
needed before they become bigger and more complicated, like a
cancer disease.
Karim acknowledged that the phasing out of these motorcycles
will cause tens of thousands of people being jobless. "However,
if they are left unheeded, their operations will attract many
unskilled newcomers to flood the city," he said.
He said that a number of ojek drivers in certain areas have
started intimidating drivers of public transport vehicles not to
continue their operation after 9:30 p.m.
Antara reported that the drivers of several public transport
vehicles plying the Pondok Kopi bus terminal, East Jakarta and
Kalimalang, Bekasi bus route did not want to operate after 9:30
p.m. because they have been threatened by the ojek drivers.
Ojek drivers operating in the Pondok Kopi and Pondok Kelapa
areas said they get an average of Rp 5,000 (US$2.27) per night
from 21:00 to 24:00.
However, they said they are forced to set aside a certain
amount of their earnings to give to "persons" who back their
operation.
Karim also said it is time for the city government to hold an
inventory on the number of ojek in operation throughout the city.
The inventory is badly needed to help seek a solution, he
added. (hhr)