Judges still lenient to traffic violators

Judges still lenient to traffic violators

JAKARTA (JP): It was something of an anti-climax to the tough
talk of the police and their new operation to clamp down on
traffic violators.

As the first trials of the hundreds of motorists caught under
the special operation were opened in five district courts in
Jakarta on Tuesday, judges refrained from imposing the stiffest
penalties permitted by law -- almost to the point of defeating
the operation's objective.

Of the 764 cases brought before the courts on Tuesday, the
heftiest fine imposed was Rp 250,000, well below the Rp 6 million
allowed by the 1992 Traffic Law. Most of the other fines were
just above Rp 100,000 and many were actually below that.

The Jakarta Police launched its special operation on Jan. 3,
known locally as the KTL, when traffic laws were to be fully
enforced on the city's main thoroughfares.

Since the enactment of the law in 1992, police have been
reluctant to impose the full fines because of strong public
opposition. But with traffic violations continuing almost
unabated as of late, police decided that the stiff penalties
should be imposed as a deterrent.

The first trials were opened simultaneously in Central, North,
South, East and West Jakarta District Courts on Tuesday.

As was widely expected, the majority of those caught were
public transport drivers, notorious for their reckless driving
which often puts their passengers at great risk.

The South Jakarta District Court was the busiest, with 314
cases brought before it. The cases were dealt with quickly as
most of motorists did not bother to argue and simply accepted the
verdicts and the fines, according to Pos Kota.

The Central Jakarta District came second with 191 cases of
traffic violations.

Some of the motorists were not aware of the special operation
and were surprised when the judges read the amounts they had to
pay. Many were not prepared and forced to retrieve funds from
home.

One or two defendants did try to argue their way out, but were
unsuccessful. One motorcyclist even tried to appeal his verdict,
but changed his mind when the judge challenged him to produce a
witness to corroborate his stand.

Many bus drivers were fined for failing to observe the new
policy requiring that all doors of their vehicles should be shut
when they are moving.

Meanwhile, a coordinating meeting was held on Tuesday
involving officials from the Jakarta High Prosecution Office and
the City Police to review the operation after its first week.

The meeting agreed that full enforcement of the 1992 Traffic
Law would be expanded to all of Jakarta as of Aug. 17, the day
Indonesia marks its independence anniversary.

"It is a gift to the people in connection with the
anniversary," quipped Suyoto, the chief of the Jakarta High
Prosecution Office. (emb)