City gets tough on taking errant taxi firms to task
City gets tough on taking errant taxi firms to task
JAKARTA (JP): The City Land Transportation Agency has revoked
the operation license of a Kotas taxi, which, according to police
findings, was used in last month's robbery and rape of a woman
passenger, an official said on Wednesday.
The head of the agency, Buyung Atang, told reporters at City
Hall that his office decided to take the stern measure,
considered the first ever in the capital, to crack down on
unscrupulous taxi drivers in Jakarta.
"We revoked the taxi's license because it was used in a crime.
With the revocation, the car, bearing the plate B 1714 MX, will
no longer be able to get a taxi license," Buyung said.
"We will not tolerate the use of taxis for criminal actions,"
he added.
Certain acts were tolerated and termed "minor" regulation
violations, such as the absence of a valid driver identity card
and required licenses, or not wearing a uniform and not using
taxi meters, Buyung explained.
The official did not mention that some crimes committed by
people using taxis were usually taxis that were borrowed or hired
from their drivers.
In last month's robbery and rape case in South Jakarta, police
said the driver of the Kotas taxi had willingly lent the car with
full knowledge that it would be used in a robbery by the three
people who borrowed it.
Besides the Kotas taxi, the agency is considering the
possibility of the same punishment for a Dian taxi, which --
according to a police report -- was used in a robbery and murder
of a South Korean woman last month in West Jakarta, Buyung said.
"We are still reviewing the case. Perhaps we will have the
results some time next week," he said.
Following a series of robberies on taxi passengers in Jakarta,
the agency monitored taxis operating in the capital from Jan. 27
to Feb. 5, Buyung said.
During the operation, the agency ticketed 387 taxi drivers and
temporarily banned 124 from operation for several violations.
The latest measures taken on the taxis and their drivers has
received the strong support from several parties, such as city
councilors and the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI).
Members of Commission D for development affairs, which also
covers transportation affairs, Saud Rahman and F.X. Marsiadi, and
a member of YLKI executive board, Tini Hadad, told The Jakarta
Post separately on Wednesday that they hailed the decision,
saying that such stern actions were badly needed as a shock
therapy for drivers and taxi companies as well.
Fair
But they suggested the agency to continuously impose the
actions without focusing only on certain cases.
Councilor Marsiadi said the city had too many taxis from
different companies which failed to meet standard requirements.
"In other words, the city administration's control mechanism
still doesn't function," he said.
Tini Hadad of YLKI said the most important thing was that the
administration should tighten the requirements for issuing
licenses to taxi businesses.
"It has become common that, for instance, taxis which do not
meet standards can still get a license," she said.
The management of the Blue Bird group and Kosti Jaya taxi
companies, who were contacted separately, said taxi firms could
actually play a big role in reducing the number of crimes faced
by taxi passengers in Jakarta.
Nani Purnomo, the senior business and development manager of
the Blue Bird group, which has one of the best reputations in the
city, said taxi companies should impose a tighter control on
their drivers.
"Usually those who are involved in crimes are temporary
drivers who replace the real one. They resort to this practice
because taxi companies do not pay them enough," she said.
When asked about the practice, LP Somba, the head of public
relations at PT President Taxi, which topped the agency's list of
ticketed drivers, refused to comment.
"Our boss has asked us not to speak to the media," he said.
(05/ind)