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)