Bus drivers tested for drugs, alcohol
Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Thousands of holidaymakers were seen swarming the city's bus terminals, train stations, and seaport on Thursday, heading for their hometowns to celebrate Idul Fitri which is only four days away.
It is estimated that over two million Jakartans, and 18.8 million people nationwide, will leave the cities for the holiday that marks the end of Ramadhan, which falls on Nov. 25 and Nov. 26.
The Lebak Bulus bus terminal in South Jakarta, saw at least 8,411 passengers depart, mostly destined for Central Java.
Thousands of passengers, including those without confirmed seats, packed the overcrowded trains at Senen railway station in Central Jakarta, with some occupying the couplings between the cars. The station managed to send off as many as 4,574 passengers on Thursday.
The Tanjung Priok port in North Jakarta has been dispatching two or three ships daily, carrying around 2,500 passengers in each. State-owned shipping firm PT Pelni has prepared 17 passenger vessels and 10 vessels which can transport vehicles as well as passengers.
However, heads of terminals and stations expect the peak to occur on day four and day three before the holiday, which is Friday and Saturday.
The government has taken several measures in a bid to make the journey easier for vacationers.
The head of the Cikampek toll road, Ahdiat, said that he would start applying a one-way route for outbound traffic from Jakarta on Friday, so vehicles wishing to enter Jakarta would be re- routed through other locations. This is to take effect at 2 p.m. on Friday.
The National Police will also deploy over 120,000 personnel nationwide and set up security posts at terminals and stations under the security operation called Operasi Ketupat 2003.
The city police are working with PT Jasa Raharja life insurance company to establish health posts at several train stations and bus terminals. Each post is equipped with medical supplies, doctors, supporting medical staff and ambulances. Other agencies joining the effort are the Indonesian Red Cross and the Jakarta Health Agency.
Police are conducting random urine and blood tests on bus drivers to determine whether they are fit to drive, checking for the possibility of drug and alcohol use.
Up to Thursday, not all of the bus terminals were conducting the mandatory tests. The head of the Lebak Bulus terminal, S. Sarbini, said the police, who were supposed to conduct the test, had not arrived.
Meanwhile, two major bus terminals, the Pulo Gadung terminal in East Jakarta and the Kampung Rambutan terminal in South Jakarta, have been conducting the tests. However, the number of tested drivers is minuscule compared to the actual number of drivers.
"We checked 21 drivers on Tuesday and another 15 yesterday. The drivers were picked randomly," said the head of the terminal, Pardjiman. He claimed over 300 drivers were connected with the terminal.
"I think it'd be impossible to test all of the drivers because of time constraints. At least, random testing would elicit fear and anxiety among the drivers and discourage them from consuming alcohol or drugs," he added.
Tulus Abadi of the Indonesian Consumer Foundation (YLKI) however said, "A urine test is a must for all drivers." He added that 70 percent of traffic accidents occurred due to human error.
Tulus, who leads a monitoring team on the exodus, added that even if the drivers were tested randomly, up to 30 or 40 percent of the total drivers would have to be checked to make this effective.
"This shows the lack of seriousness on the part of the responsible parties in providing passenger services. This is very serious because it concerns millions of lives," he told The Jakarta Post.