DLLAJ hindered from controlling taxis at airports
DLLAJ hindered from controlling taxis at airports
JAKARTA (JP): An official of the city's Land Transportation Agency (DLLAJ) says bureaucracy has made it difficult for his office to control the operation of taxis at airports.
E. Gumelar K.S., who is in charge of law and order, announced yesterday that official permits from airport authorities must be obtained before his office can curb the notoriety created by taxi drivers at airports.
"DLLAJ has no authority at the airports. We may get a permit from the airport authorities to take action against unscrupulous taxi drivers, but the process to obtain such a permit is complicated and time consuming," he said.
Passengers have complained about ill-behaved airport taxi drivers who refuse to use their meters and demand outrageous fares from passengers.
Travelers who are familiar with the Halim Perdanakusuma military airport in East Jakarta are also familiar with the taxi services at the airport.
Recently, strong complaints were voiced by passengers at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Cengkareng, West Jakarta.
A city councilor of the United Development Party faction, Hasan Daisy, branded the taxi drivers' practices as crooked acts that tainted the image of the capital as an international tourist destination and the entrance gate to Indonesia.
The councilor then urged the city administration and related agencies to promptly take stern action against the taxi companies concerned.
"The taxi companies whose drivers refuse to use the meter should be dealt with sternly by revoking their operation licenses," he said.
The councilor blamed a lack of control and supervision on the part of the city's Land Transportation Agency (DLLAJ) and the airport management for the poor taxi services at the airport.
He proposed that regular field controls should be stepped up by cracking down on taxis which head for the airport. "Such a crackdown can be carried out at the toll gate to the airport.
"If such actions are regularly carried out they will gradually deter the taxi drivers from refusing to use the meter," Hasan said.
When the influx of Idul Fitri travelers arrived back in the city after celebrating the holiday in their hometowns, most of the taxi drivers refused to use the meter. Instead the fare was decided through bargaining." DLLAJ should have posted its officials around the bus terminals and railway stations," Hasan said.
He also proposed that the state-owned Damri buses based at the airport should prolong their operation hours until midnight every day so that it passengers arriving late after 10 p.m. would not be left at the mercy of the unscrupulous taxi drivers.
The taxi fare at night from the airport to Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, is over Rp 30,000 excluding the toll road fee. Besides official taxis there are also private cars illegally operating at the airport which offer transportation at a negotiable rate.
Gumelar said his office has full authority to punish taxi drivers who are caught not using taxi meters after taxis leave the airport vicinity.
"We have ticketed 44 taxis operating without meters within only three days of operation starting on Monday," he said
"Thirteen of the 44 taxis have been impounded as the drivers had no necessary documents for the cabs," Gumelar said.
He said that operation against unscrupulous taxis will be continued on the roads, including at toll gates, bus terminals and railway stations. (sur/yns/bas)