'Becak' drivers protest

JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of becak (pedicab) drivers staged a protest on Wednesday outside the office of the head of Kemayoran district, Central Jakarta, demanding their confiscated vehicles be returned.

They shouted their demand over 18 pedicabs which were seized during a raid by local administration late on Tuesday.

The protesters complained that their fellow drivers, whose pedicabs were seized, could not feed their families as they could not make any money.

Police came to the site and fired warning shots to calm the angry becak drivers.

Central Jakarta Police detective chief Comr. A.R. Yoyol said, "No arrests were made as they dispersed after their representatives met with officials from the Central Jakarta mayoralty." (emf)