Discipline campaign rakes in money

By Wahyudi M. Pratopo

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration has upped its ante in the on-going National Discipline Campaign, by imposing on the spot fines to anyone regarded as "undisciplined".

The fines range between Rp 1,000 to Rp 30,000 for violations that include jaywalking, crossing the street at inappropriate places and littering.

For anyone caught throwing a cigarette butt on the ground it's a fine of Rp 2,000. Street vendors caught selling their wares in prohibited places will be fined Rp 10,000.

After launching a massive information campaign on the need to maintain discipline, the five mayoralties last week began fining anyone caught violating the regulations.

In operations that also involved officers from the City Military Command, the mayoralties sent out teams that included prosecutors and judges around the areas to apprehend violators and fine any guilty parties on the spot.

By Friday, 2,079 people had been fined.

Lt. Col. Didi Supandi, spokesman of the military command, said the discipline operation, launched on June 21, found 14,880 violators. Most were let off with just a caution.

One person stopped on Friday was 59-year old Sumaryo, who paid Rp 2,000 after he was found guilty of throwing a cigarette butt on the street on Jl. MH Thamrin.

Sumaryo willingly paid the fine.

However, he complained about the long wait he had to endure -- more than two hours -- for the so-called "speedy justice".

"I have better things to do than wasting my time waiting to be tried," he said.

Another violator, street vendor Sularto, 46, was fined Rp. 10,000 for selling chicken noodle soup outside the Atrium shopping complex in the Senen area.

First time

Sularto grudgingly paid the fine, saying that he did not see any sign prohibiting him to operate in the area.

He pointed out that this was the first time he had to pay a fine after being in the business for 19 years.

Central Jakarta Mayor Abdul Kahfi personally led the discipline operation on Friday which also included Lt. Col. Koesnadi, the head of the Central Jakarta Military District, and Lt. Col. Didi Supandi of the military command.

Abdul Kahfi told reporters that since the operation was launched on June 21, Central Jakarta had detained more than 5,000 discipline violators.

They include 365 street vendors, 4,727 pedestrians, 336 vagrants, 120 occupants of shanties built on prohibited sites, two prostitutes, five bus drivers, and five drunkards. There were also 212 cases of advertising banners being raised without proper permits.

Regarding complaints that the authorities had been too harsh on street vendors, Abdul Kahfi said it is the intention of the Central Jakarta mayoralty to take them off the streets and encourage them to occupy kiosks especially provided at various markets and office buildings.

"There are 193 office buildings in Central Jakarta which provide places for street vendors."

He acknowledged that the authorities could not accommodate all street vendors. "There will never be enough places since urbanization is going on all the time."

The mayor also disclosed that the authorities plan to expand the operation and that each district would eventually be equipped with a "Justice Car" unit.