'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)