Hamzah's convoy takes over busway lane

Hamzah's convoy takes over busway lane

No vehicles other than the designated buses are allowed in the
busway lane -- unless, of course, your name is Hamzah Haz.

On Monday morning a convoy of vehicles including the one in
which Hamzah was riding, were seen cruising down the special
lane, past all the unfortunate motorists caught in bumper-to-
bumper Monday morning traffic along Jl. M. Thamrin near Sarinah
department store. Hamzah's spokesman Yudo Bambang Satrio told
detik.com that it was the police who directed the convoy into the
busway lane.

However, he quickly added that it was an emergency. "Jl.
Thamrin was congested. His convoy passed a police officer who
directed the convoy into the busway lane. What's all the fuss
about?"

The Vice President had just left a function in the Senayan
area of Central Jakarta and was in apparently in a hurry to
attend a meeting with the Indonesian Ulema's Council at his
office, Yudo said.

"So (entering the busway lane) was the initiative of the local
police, it was not the request of the Vice President. And it (the
convoy) didn't take so much space, after a few hundred meters the
convoy was out of the lane again," Yudo added.

He said the convoy was comprised of the Mercedez-Benz
transporting Hamzah, the vehicle of Jakarta police and two others
with presidential guards in them.

The introduction of the busway system has left only two "fast"
lanes for private vehicles. There are additional plans to add
even more space for an express busway bus.

The busway system, with its exclusive lane, was introduced to
Jakartans on Jan. 15. -- JP