'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 The decision, however, was revoked only seven days after the announcement was made.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)