Lawyers, councilors oppose steep rise in traffic fines
Lawyers, councilors oppose steep rise in traffic fines
JAKARTA (JP): Lawyers and city councilors oppose a probable
steep rise in traffic fines, saying that the Rp 1 million to Rp 6
million (US$476 to $2,860) fines announced by National Police
Chief Gen. Banurusman Astrosemitro are too high.
"Only a small elite can afford it," said Adnan Buyung
Nasution, the chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation
(YLBHI), one of the most vocal non-governmental organizations in
the country.
He said that YLBHI basically supports the idea of the traffic
campaign, but that it believes the government failed to take into
account the standard of living of Indonesians before deciding on
the fine scale.
Buyung and lawyer Frans Hendra Winarta, another executive of
YLBHI, as well as city councilor Muhammad Rodja and Djenny
Suharso told The Jakarta Post yesterday that the planned
imposition of such heavy fines will apparently send many poor
drivers to prison cells.
"Although we have to admit that the amount is normal in
industrialized countries, but not in Indonesia where the majority
of people are still poor. It is social injustice," Buyung said.
Rodja, currently the secretary of the Jakarta chapter of the
United Development Party (PPP), said that Rp 1 million is no
small change even for a politician like him.
"But I'd rather borrow some money or sell my wife's jewelry
rather than go to jail," said Rodja, adding that he expected a
negative response from city bus drivers whose monthly income lies
between Rp 200,000 and Rp 250,000.
"Our jails will be full of drivers (if the government strictly
enforces the plan)," he bluntly said.
Kompas quoted Banurusman, who is attending the National
Central Bureau (NCB) Interpol meeting in Rome, yesterday that the
police will gradually impose the plan starting with main
thoroughfares in major urban centers like Jl. Sudirman and Jl.
Thamrin, both in Central Jakarta.
Traffic fines in Jakarta currently vary from Rp 10,000 to Rp
100,000.
Traffic law
Referring to the 1992 Traffic Law which regulates heavy
traffic fines, the four-star police general said two years are
enough to popularize the law.
The police, he said, will begin implementing the 1992 Traffic
Law early next year.
Police officials have said that the increased fines are aimed
at reducing accidents by encouraging motorists to obey traffic
regulations.
But Frans and Djenny said that orderly traffic cannot simply
be created by imposing heavy sanctions.
Frans said that imposing heavy fines without proper education
and training will prove meaningless.
He underlined the importance of a long-term planning and
introducing traffic regulations to young children.
"Just like in Singapore, children begin to learn to obey
traffic regulations since they go to school," he said, adding
that the Indonesian authorities should allocate special time to
introduce traffic education for children. (yns/09)