Drivers ask for police protection

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