City to enforce rules, discipline

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration will launch a special operation to promote public discipline, particularly in relation to road use, deputy governor Idroes said yesterday.

Idroes, who is responsible for government affairs, told reporters that the special operation would be conducted in cooperation with the Jakarta branch of the Coordinating Agency for National Stability and Security.

"The operation is aimed at encouraging the public to obey laws on public order," he said, adding that it had been observed that most people were unwilling to obey the rules unless there were punishments for violating them.

Idroes said that the operation would commence as soon as possible, adding that a special team was currently still being prepared.

Many people still did not care, he said, about the national discipline movement initiated by President Soeharto last month. He said that many street vendors, for example, were continuing to operate "recklessly" on pavements and pedestrian bridges and that pedestrians were continuing to cross streets in places where crossing was forbidden.

"It is true that it will take time to educate the public on the importance of discipline and it will be more effective if the city administration forces people to abide by the regulations through the operation," he said.

Idroes said that the operation would be focused on 31 spots from Pondok Labu, South Jakarta, to Kota in West Jakarta and from Jl. Gatot Subroto in Central Jakarta to Cawang in East Jakarta.

"We will deploy officers at each point to make sure that people obey the regulations," he said.

He said that people caught in the operation would be punished in accordance with the existing regulations and laws.

"Those who litter, for example, will be fined according to the regulations on sanitation, while those violating road rules will be punished according to the existing traffic regulations," he said.

Idroes said the operation was also aimed at disciplining employees of the city administration whom, he said, should be made into models for the city's other residents.

"Employees of the city administration should provide a good example for other people," he said. (yns)