'Becak' drivers not involved in riot

'Becak' drivers not involved in riot

JAKARTA (JP): An activist fighting for the right of becak
(pedicab) drivers to operate again in parts of Jakarta denied
yesterday that drivers had been involved in a massive attack last
week on a district administration office in West Jakarta.

Wardah Hafidz from the Urban Poor Consortium said she believed
the assault was engineered by certain parties which did not want
to see the return of becak drivers to the city.

"But it's difficult to point fingers at a culprit, let alone
prove it," she said during a demonstration held by becak drivers
yesterday in the National Monument park.

Dozens of shops and motorcycles were damaged during the attack
in the Mangga Besar area Friday night. Becak drivers were
reported to be responsible for the incident.

Some 300 becak drivers attended yesterday's demonstration to
protest the city's inconsistent becak policies. Jakarta Governor
Sutiyoso said in June that he would allow becak to operate in the
city again during the monetary crisis. The decision, however, was
revoked only seven days after the announcement was made.

Becak drivers who entered the city during the brief time the
city was allowing them to operate have been ordered to go home
again.

Wardah said the drivers did not hold their protest in front of
City Hall as they had done before since they considered the
administration and councilors as having no interest in their
problems.

"The city is deaf to our concerns. That's why we stopped
complaining to them (the officials)," she said.

Hundreds of pedicab drivers from West and Central Java came
here soon after Governor Sutiyoso gave his permission for the
drivers to operate in the capital.

Wardah said many of the drivers would move to operate in the
city's outskirts, like Tangerang and Bekasi, to obey the
administration's order. Others, however, have indicated they
would stay and operate in some housing complexes in Jakarta.
(cst)