Millions stranded as drivers strike enters third day
JAKARTA (JP): Millions of commuters were stranded here yesterday and had to struggle to reach their destinations in the capital as a sit-in protest of minibus drivers continued sporadically.
Protesting drivers of some 5,000 minibuses said that they will return to work only if the government lifts a hefty new ticketing traffic fine scale, which is much higher than the previous one.
Jakarta Police Chief Maj. Gen. Mochamad Hindarto announced yesterday afternoon that he had reached an agreement with owners of city bus companies to allow the drivers to return to their jobs at 4 o'clock.
However, by evening no striking drivers had returned to behind their steering wheels.
Earlier in the day, government officials joined the chorus by saying they will not be cowed by the protesters.
"National discipline is judged by traffic orderliness. If our traffic is in order, people will surely say that we have good national discipline," Gen. Feisal Tanjung, the commander of the Armed Forces, told reporters yesterday.
The new law sets fines of between Rp 15,000 ($7) and Rp 50,000 ($25) for offenses ranging from failing to carry a driver's license, jaywalking and ignoring traffic signals.
Lower level workers and students, apparent victims of the strike, were spotted yesterday walking along Jakarta's main streets, waving their hands desperately for a lift or riding in police-driven trucks.
At the Blok M mall, the biggest shopping area in South Jakarta which also houses a bus terminal, hundreds of students were seen in the shopping area waiting for regular buses.
A passenger jokingly said that Jakarta looked pale yesterday as the privately-run minibuses, whose colors are orange, dark blue and white with green, were conspicuously absent from the streets of the metropolis.
Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto said that the government will be consistent in enforcing the law, adding that minibuses should recognize that their frequent tragic accidents have left them with a less than sterling reputation.
The strike was participated by drivers of four minibus companies: PT Metro Mini, Koperasi Angkutan Jakarta (Kopaja), Koantas Bima and Kowanbisata.
The worst day
Drivers of regular buses, taxis and 14-seat vehicles, however, made the best of the strike by doubling and even quadrupling their incomes, especially yesterday, the worst day of the protest.
Many taxis ignored their meters and only took passengers on a charter basis, charging well above the authorized fare.
A passenger complained that she had to pay Rp 30,000 to travel a distance that normally costs Rp 7,000. In South Jakarta taxis charged Rp 5,000 a person for short trips and took in as many passengers as possible, just like a minibus.
Meanwhile, Abdul Karim, the head of the Jakarta-chapter of the Ministry of Transportation, warned the protesters that he will revoke the route licenses of the protesters should they continue the boycott.
Gen. Hindarto announced: "We're not going to enforce the maximum fines." He added that drivers need not fear sanctions as long as they obey traffic regulations.
A leader of the protesters had earlier said that sometimes the police ticketed them without giving any explanation of their crimes.
"The police like to look for our infractions," he added.
Analysts, however, have said repeatedly said that the main problem with Jakarta's traffic is that it lacks a rail-based mass transit system which could accommodate the needs of the public.
They said that the deadly drivers, corrupt policemen and even the angry mob, are only the victims of a vicious circle created by the motor-based transportation system. (yns/bsr/09) Questioning -- Page 3