Mon, 11 Jul 1994

Implementation of closed-door policy difficult

JAKARTA (JP): More than two months after the policy requiring public transit vehicles to have their doors closed while in motion was introduced, bus drivers are still complaining.

"We find it unfair that if we are found running with doors open, the police simply stop us, ticket us based on a list of fines and turn deaf ears to our pleas and explanations," a driver told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.

His complaint was supported by most drivers of the Kopaja Number T-505 buses, which serve the Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta- Taman Puring, South Jakarta route.

The driver, who asked for anonymity, said that he and his friends preferred the old method to the present one.

The driver added that, "We would be happy if the former trial procedures were applied again."

"Formerly we were tried at courts if we were found guilty of violating traffic laws. The judges listened to our explanations and imposed lighter fines if our explanations were acceptable," the driver said, supported by his friends.

"But now, the law is so rigid. We have no opportunity to defend ourselves, but are simply forced to pay," one of his friends said.

"If we demand that we be tried in court, the police usually say that the judges are not in and that trials cannot be held," another driver said.

Fine

The traffic law dictates a Rp 20,600 (US$9.5) fine for the violation. "But because the police are always making things difficult for us, we often resort to bribing them," he added.

The closed door ruling, along with other rulings, which oblige drivers to wear uniforms and to place their driver's identity cards inside the windshield, was introduced by the City Transportation and Traffic Land Agency (DLLAJ) in May following an accident, which killed 33 people when a Metromini minibus plunged into a river in North Jakarta.

"The police won't issue us tickets if we agree to pay them at least Rp 5,000," he said.

One of his friends added that formerly the police would accept Rp 3,000 as bribe for not ticketing them, but now they must pay Rp 5,000 at the very least. The police sometimes even force them to pay Rp 10,000, he added.

The city police could not be reached for comment.

Drivers also blamed violations on the attitude of passengers. "Sometimes the doors are opened by passengers who, deliberately or not, do not close them again," another driver said.

"Drivers and conductors cannot, of course, control whether the doors are open or not all of the time," a driver said. (arf)