Illegal terminal

Illegal terminal

From Jayakarta

Bogor! Bekasi! Cikampek! Kota! Kalideres!...Anxious commuters listen to these words called out by a man advising to which destination the arriving bus is going. The bus has hardly stopped before commuters swarm at it, each trying to squeeze through the two doors to get on the bus already crowded with passengers. People like to wait for their buses at illegal terminals such as UKI, Cawang, CSW intersections, near the Cikampek Toll gate, etc.

The commuters are mostly employees who work in Jakarta, Bogor and Bekasi. A commuter who works in the downtown area admits that he prefers to wait for the bus at such a place because he can reach his destination quicker, rather than starting from a legal terminal such as Kampung Rambutan, where buses like to stop and wait a long time, until enough passengers get on.

No doubt, these illegal terminals only add to the traffic problem. But drivers do not stop long when policemen are present.

And in the absence of a policeman on duty, the bus crew can take advantage of the situation.

YAYAT RUHIAT

Jakarta