Drivers ask for police protection

TANGERANG: About 200 drivers of public minivans serving the Pasar Anyer-Juru Mudi route staged a rally at Tangerang Police Headquarters on Thursday demanding police protection against threats made by unlicensed minivan drivers.

The drivers said over the past five years they only served half the route, making U-turns at Kebon Besar in the Batuceper district. This gave rise to many unlicensed minivans serving the other half of the route.

The drivers decided to serve the whole route as they saw their income drop due to the recent fuel hike, a driver, Sarto, said.

He said drivers of the unauthorized minivans were angry and stopping each passing minivan near the Duta Garden housing estate, beating up drivers and forcing passengers out of the vehicles.

Another driver, Manto, feared possible clashes between the drivers if the police did not intervene to stop the violence.--JP