Minibus drivers continue their sit-in strike
Minibus drivers continue their sit-in strike
JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of drivers of the city minibuses
continued their sit-in strikes for the third consecutive day
yesterday but stranded commuters were no longer seen as of
yesterday afternoon.
Many employees and school students, the main users of the
public vehicles, were believed to have taken other forms of
transportation even though they had to spend more time to reach
their destination.
"I've haven't been able to get to school for two days because
of the strike," said Dewi Lindawati, a high school student.
Head of the terminal, Kasmir B. revealed that only 58 out of
the 625 Metro Mini minibuses and 51 out of the 285 Kopaja
minibuses were operating that day. Worse, none of the 13 Koantas
Bima were operating as yesterday evening.
The drivers are protesting the new law, which sets fines of
between Rp 15,000 ($7) and Rp 150,000 (S75), not Rp 50,000 as
reported yesterday, for offenses ranging from failing to carry a
driver's license, jaywalking and ignoring traffic signals.
"But there are not longer crowds of passengers stranded at
this terminal as we saw on previous days," he said.
One of the reasons for the improvement, in his opinion, was
due to 45 police and military personnel that were deployed to
assist the DLLAJ employees to provide seats for the passengers.
President Soeharto yesterday instructed Governor Surjadi
Soedirdja to continue the current action taken by the city
authorities in handling the protesters and managing the problems
caused by the strikes.
Hundreds of city police and military personnel were deployed
to help guard or drive the minibuses, which have been left by
their drivers. Along with personnel from the City Traffic and
Land Transportation Agency (DLLAJ-DKI), they were also assigned
to change routes of available operating buses depending upon the
passengers' needs.
No review
Meanwhile, the authorities stuck to their guns, saying that
they would not review the new fine scale. The new fines are much
higher than the previous scale and were the cause of the minibus
drivers' strike.
The government will not revoke the new fine scale although the
protesters planned to continue striking, Minister of
Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto insisted.
The police, however, have yet to disclose the fate of 35
protesters, consisting of drivers and unemployed, who have been
incarcerated since Tuesday for further questioning about their
role in the strikes.
According to Ratta, the city police are still questioning the
35 people.
The one-star general refused to comment on a report saying
that the number of people in police custody had risen to 85
people as of Wednesday evening.
During a meeting with Governor Surjadi yesterday, President
Soeharto also ordered the authority to take persuasive approach
to the protesters.
"But those who are found guilty of subversive activities, such
as throwing stones or threatening other drivers to stop operating
their vehicles, must face the law," the President was quoted by
Surjadi as saying.
Meanwhile, Minister Haryanto insisted that his office had no
plan to revoke the licenses of any transportation firms in
related with the strikes.
Expressing concern over the strike, which had disturbed the
public order, Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman said drivers who
incited the others to go on strike deserved punishment.
He said that both authorities and drivers should improve their
legal awareness.
Zumrotin K. Soesilo, chairwoman of the Indonesian Consumer
Foundation, supported the government's decision to discipline
drivers, but added that the driver felt that they were not being
dealt with fairly.
"They think, 'Why do these police and official from the DLLAJ
go by without sanction, while acting as illegal brokers of
drivers' licenses and route permits, while drivers have to pay Rp
150,000 for violations?,'" Soesilo said.
"We are optimistic that violating drivers will feel obliged to
pay fines if they see a higher level of professionalism from
officials," she said. (bsr/yns/anr/sim)