Bogor drivers go on strike to protest student vandalism

Bogor drivers go on strike to protest student vandalism

BOGOR (JP): Dozens of public transportation drivers plying
several routes between Bogor and Jakarta's outskirts went on
strike on Thursday in protest at a rising trend of student
vandalism which frequently led to their vehicles being damaged.

The drivers also demonstrated by parking their minibuses at an
intersection in Depok before riding in a convoy along Jl. Raya
Jakarta-Bogor and dispersing in Cibinong.

They demanded that police and other related agencies guarantee
security against attacks, mostly by high school students, on
their vehicles.

"Twelve minibuses serving various Bogor-Jakarta routes have
been damaged recently," Budi, one of the protesting drivers,
said.

He said that six of the damaged minibuses were owned by Mekar
Jaya, two by Miniarta, two by Karya Jaya and another two by Jaya
Mini.

"The damage was mostly in the form of broken windows as they
were pelted with stones by the students," he said.

"In such cases the minibus owners usually pass the repair
costs on to us," he said. "Each of the windows costs Rp 100,000
(US$13.30). If more than one is broken, how can we get such a
large amount of money just for the repairs?" Budi asked.

High school students contacted by The Jakarta Post said they
attacked the minibuses because the drivers usually refused to
allow them to board, possibly because they paid much lower fares
than other passengers.

"We're fed up with such a situation," one of the students who
asked not to be named said.

Tarigan, another minibus driver, said that the reluctance on
the part of the drivers to transport the students was not caused
by the lower fares but by the fact that students from certain
schools were frequently involved in street brawls, and that this
led to vandalism.

"They clash anywhere, including aboard the buses. They
frighten other passengers," he said.

Students most frequently involved in clashes were from several
school in Cijantung and Pasar Rebo in East Jakarta.

"We strongly demand guarantees for security from the police
and responsibility from the school principals," Tarigan said.

Commenting on the drivers' strike, Bogor Police chief Lt. Col.
Ferial Manaf said that he would not tolerate any brutality on the
part of the students and promised to maintain security in his
area. But he also urged the drivers to be willing to transport
the students to help reduce the tension.

"We will not hesitate to take stern action against naughty
students by arresting them and asking their parents to pay for
the damage as well as the principals to impose academic sanctions
on the arrested students," Ferial said.

Thursday's strike, the third such action by the drivers,
caused many passengers to be stranded in the morning. (24/hhr)