'Becak' drivers occupy City Council

'Becak' drivers occupy City Council

JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of becak (pedicab) drivers occupied
the City Council on Monday in a desperate move to pressure the
administration to legalize their operation in the capital.

"We demand the city administration and the city councilors
allow pedicabs to operate in the city. We also demand the
councilors revoke 1988 City Bylaw No. 11 on public order which
bans pedicabs from the city streets," coordinator of the Urban
Poor Consortium Wardah Hafidz, who helped organize the action,
told council speaker Edy Waluyo in a meeting.

Edy responded that it would be impossible to issue a policy
which would allow operation of pedicabs in the city without the
approval of all city councilors and the administration.

"Why are you so pushy on this matter? The city administration
has provided programs to help them change their professions. All
they have to do is register at the city's Vocational Training
Center," he said.

Wardah dismissed the offer, saying that President Abdurrahman
Wahid allowed the drivers to operate in residential areas.

"The President has allowed pedicabs. How come the City Council
and the city administration keep on insisting on banning the
pedicabs?"

Edy said after the meeting that the drivers could operate in
other cities which permitted pedicabs.

"Allowing pedicabs to operate in Jakarta again will cause the
city population to grow even higher. We can't afford this to
happen."

The drivers initially met with Edy Waluyo, deputy council
speaker Suwardi and deputy chairman of the council's Commission E
for social welfare affairs, H.A.H. Ishak. The officials asked the
drivers to send their representatives to discuss their demand.

The drivers, however, rejected the offer and insisted that all
of them be heard by the councilors. The situation became heated
as the drivers berated the councilors.

Police arrested Abdul Rozak, 17, a senior high school student,
for allegedly provoking the drivers. He claimed to be the owner
of a pedicab, but failed to provide an identification card.

After the negotiations ended in failure, the drivers continued
to demand the city administration and the City Council allow
their operation in the city.

The drivers gathered at the building beginning at 6 a.m. They
parked their pedicabs along Jl. Kebon Sirih, causing traffic
congestion.

UPC activist Edy Saidy claimed that there were 5,000 drivers
at Monday's rally.

City administration officials closed all doors connecting City
Hall and the City Council in anticipation of the rally. A fire
truck was also deployed.

Governor Sutiyoso said he would uphold the bylaw and ban
pedicabs from operating in the city.

"You can see that pedicabs are out of control nowadays. They
even operate on the main streets," he said separately at City
Hall.

"My car almost hit a becak near the Bank Indonesia traffic
circle. The driver rode his pedicab against the traffic. Luckily,
my driver managed to avoid a collision," he added.

Along with the end of the city administration's working hours,
the drivers dispersed peacefully at 4 p.m. (05)