How to eliminate scalping

From Kompas

As reported by Kompas, Minister of Communications Agum Gumelar has found it difficult to eliminate the practice of railway ticket scalping, partly due to the absence of relevant legislation. Meanwhile, the public expects concrete action by the government.

Scalping could be eradicated in a simple way: Members of the special railway police should disguise themselves as travelers who buy tickets at major stations, like Gambir, Pasar Senen and Jakarta Kota, in order to catch scalpers and seize the tickets they have bought.

The tickets seized are then resold to real travelers with marks stamped on them because the names are different from the original passengers'. Meanwhile, the scalpers need not be punished but they should be given only 50 percent of the ticket price after they have been resold. The other 50 percent is separately managed for police expenses.

By using this method, there is no need to wait for the law and better public service can be provided. On the other hand, ticket scalpers receive their just desserts and, hopefully, will be deterred, while the railway police get extra allowances without burdening the state budget.

SUGIHARTO Bogor, West Java