Ojek drivers mobilized for elections

BANDUNG, West Java: West Java province police chief Insp. Gen. Dadang Garnida has revealed that at least 86,500 ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers around the province would be mobilized to help ensure order and security during the elections.

He said that the role of the ojek drivers, who normally transport passengers in housing complexes and villages, was vital because of their high level of mobility.

"They can immediately act as informants and report to police stations or the nearest security posts so that we will be able to respond to any eventualities that arise," he told reporters after a religious gathering at Gasibu Square in Bandung.

Dadang said that the police would pay the ojek drivers, although he refused to say how much.

Apart from ojek drivers, the provincial police would also involve more than 150,000 people in the security preparations, mostly civilian police auxiliaries (hansip).

Every polling station would be guarded by such police auxiliaries, at the minimum. There would be 79,000 polling stations set up in West Java alone which would be used by 26 million voters spread over 133 polling areas.

The security measures that would be applied were a response to the limited number of police officers in West Java. There are only about 22,000 police personnel in the province, which has a population of 38 million people. -- JP