'Bribery still better than go to court'

Since the city administration enforced the new three-in-one traffic policy, hundreds of motorists have been ticketed. Under Law No. 14/1992 on highway traffic, offenders can be fined up to Rp 1 million (US$119). So far, the court has handed out light sentences, fining motorists only Rp 50,000. But some city residents The Jakarta Post spoke to said they would still rather bribe the police than go to court.

Setio, 25, works for a software company on Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Central Jakarta. He lives in Tangerang:

I would prefer to bribe the police. It's just that going to court is a time-consuming process. If I paid the fine in court, the money would probably still go to someone else's pocket. It's simpler to just pay the traffic police.

We are threatened by the huge fines the police say we would have to pay if we went to court. This encourages us to bribe them and pay less money.

I would, of course, prefer to go to court, if they simplified the process, and made it as honest, transparent, and fair as possible.

Teddy, 27, is a technician for a company on Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Central Jakarta. He lives in a boarding house in Setiabudi, Central Jakarta:

I don't really mind going to court, but if I could strike a deal with the police and avoid the hassle, I would choose the later option.

I was once told to pull over at the Bank Indonesia traffic circle for violating a traffic sign. I was then asked for my license and registration.

But when I went to the nearby police booth to receive my ticket, the policemen offered to "help me" pay my fine.

So I gave them all the money I had in my pocket, which was Rp 40,000 ($4.8), and they gave my license back. They didn't give me a ticket.

But I wouldn't count on my luck next time, because I've heard it's harder now to bribe the police on the streets, especially with the new 3-in-1 policy. The police are probably trying to keep their image as clean as possible.

-- The Jakarta Post