'Drunk-driving law not needed'

JAKARTA (JP): Should Indonesia introduce a tougher clause against drunk-driving in its traffic law?

A councilor, asked for his comment after the bus driver of the ill-fated Jaya Bakti Super intercity bus was found to be drunk when he crashed the bus on Sunday, doesn't think so.

"It's not part of our culture to drink alcohol, so there is no need to issue a regulation on the maximum alcohol level permitted for a driver," Djafar Badjeber, a member of the City Council's Commission B for economic affairs, said.

In his opinion, "drunk is drunk".

Article 23 of the 1992 Traffic Law simply states that drivers are required to drive responsibly, and must therefore not be under the influence of alcohol or drugs while on the road.

Violators can be punished with a maximum imprisonment term of three months, or fined Rp 3 million (US$1,016), very lenient punishment by American and European standards, where drunk- driving is common.

Unlike in the United States and many European countries, the Indonesian law does not state the maximum level of alcohol a person is permitted to consume and still drive.

Djafar said there was no need for Indonesia to review the 1992 law or to make it any tougher against drunk-driving.

The law is already clear that drivers must not drink or eat when they drive a vehicle, or be under the influence of any drugs or alcohol, Djafar said.

Police meanwhile said that the only thing they could do to discourage drunk-driving among bus drivers was to raid kiosks that sell alcoholic drinks at bus terminals in the city.

Police have never stopped raiding those places, Lt. Col. E. Aritonang, the Jakarta Police chief spokesman said.

"However, the raids have not been able to halt the distribution of alcoholic beverages in the city," Aritonang said. (07/cst)