C. Java clamps down on traffic violations

SEMARANG (JP): Central Java Police were quick to respond to President Soeharto's criticism of the poor traffic conditions in the country.

They, along with other police headquarters in Java, are planning to introduce Traffic Order Zones in various spots where the penalties for violators will be the full whack allowed by the 1992 Traffic Law, which could millions of rupiahs, even for a minor violation.

Up to now police have been lenient, setting penalties at less than Rp 100,000 in most cases.

"This province is prone to traffic accidents and problems because we get vehicles from Sumatra and Jakarta using the narrow streets before heading on to Surabaya and Bali," head of the traffic police directorate, Col. Ansyar Roem said.

In the current Christmas and New Year holiday season, the area is once again flooded with cars and buses carrying passengers wanting to spend the holidays in their kampungs.

In the first 10 months of this year, the directorate recorded 971 accidents, or three accidents per day. A total of 927 people were killed in road accidents and a further 1,635 were injured.

There has been hardly any change over the past year. In 1993, the province recorded 1,153 traffic accidents with 1,065 people killed. That means in 1993, on average, three people died in road accidents everyday.

Police acknowledged that some of the accidents were caused by lack of traffic signs but the biggest cause, they said, was reckless driving, which is why the Traffic Order Zones will be imposed in a number of spots. (bsr)