Low pay behind illegal levies

Low pay behind illegal levies

JAKARTA (JP): The low salaries of traffic police officers and other officials in charge of traffic have motivated the demanding of bribes from drivers, an official says.

The head of the Transportation Ministry Office, Abdul Karim Tjokroprawiro, said that increasing their salaries would be the best way to eliminate bribery cases.

He said his office is preparing a proposal on the salary increase to the government.

Traffic police officers and officials of the city land transportation control agency have been under fire for asking money from drivers of buses and taxis.

Karim said he believed that the main reason for the officers to collect money from the drivers is the officers low salaries.

"In my personal opinion that's what makes them behave like this. It is impossible to overcome illegal levies or expect them to obey the regulations if we do not change their economic condition," he said.

Karim was commenting on the accusation aired by the land transportation association, Organda, which said that various permits meant higher costs for the transportation companies.

"I don't think the permits cause high cost to the company. And all payment for the permits are legal," Karim said.

He said that the existing regulations are perfect but their enforcement was weak.

Therefore, the government should improve the condition by increasing the officers' salaries or giving, for instance, 75 percent of the fine to the officers as an incentive.

Karim said the government will only give selected officers the authority to fine traffic violators and to give drivers the right to defend themselves.

"This is important because the drivers' right to defend themselves is neglected and sometimes they are labeled as confrontational when they use their rights," he said. (yns)