Driving licenses costly in Tangerang

Driving licenses costly in Tangerang

TANGERANG (JP): The desire for speedy service has pushed up the average price paid for a driving license to more than double the normal fee.

Budi, not his real name, said yesterday that he paid Rp 120,000 (US$51.22) for a "C"-type motorcycle license, while another said he paid Rp 130,000. The official fee, as confirmed by a police offer, is Rp 52,500.

Budi said that apart from the Rp 52,500, which is paid to Bank International Indonesia, fees are charged for each driving examination.

"If people pay up to Rp 130,000 they must have gone through a broker," First Lieutenant Matroso said.

Every day between 120 and 340 people apply for licenses at the Tangerang police precinct, which is under the jurisdiction of the Jakarta police headquarters.

Last year, 45,139 driving licenses were issued by the Tangerang police for new, renewed and replacement licenses. Up to four licenses are lost every day, an officer said.

Another police officer near the license booths said it would be better to use his personal service than abide by the regular procedure.

"You'll end up paying the same fees," he told an applicant, who concluded that the officer was also a broker.

People applying for licenses said that brokers, including police officers, race each other every day to get as many applicants as possible.

Last year, former Jakarta police chief Maj. Gen. Dibyo Widodo, vowed to punish police officers found taking bribes to process driving licenses. (18/anr)