Tue, 27 Jun 2000

Minivan drivers go on strike over illegal levy

JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of mikrolet (public minivan) drivers serving the Tanah Abang-Kebayoran Lama and Tanah Abang-Kebon Jeruk routes went on strike on Monday in protest over the application of a new illegal levy.

The strike was held in stages as some drivers began to disappear from the streets at around 10 a.m. while others drove their minivans back to their respective pools at around 12 a.m.

The strike was also held in an unusual manner as the drivers didn't gather in certain places to air their grievances, but merely parked their minivans in their respective pools.

The drivers said a new illegal levy was the reason for the strike.

"Since last week, members of the Union of Tanah Abang Big Family (IKBT) began to collect some money from the drivers," Rizal, an M-09 mikrolet driver plying the route from Tanah Abang market in Central Jakarta to Kebayoran Lama market in South Jakarta, told The Jakarta Post.

He said the union members collected Rp 2,000 (23 US cents) a day from each driver.

"Previously, we always spent Rp 700 a day to pay for pak Ogah (illegal traffic wardens), who operated on several spots in the streets surrounding the Tanah Abang market," said Rizal, who parked his minivan on Jl. Jatibaru near the market.

He said the drivers usually paid the illegal wardens between Rp 100 and Rp 300 everytime they entered the market area.

"The union members take Rp 2,000 per day from the drivers, but pak Ogah still operate on the streets despite a guarantee from the union that there will be no more pak Ogah as soon the new levy takes effect," he said, adding that the union members took the money from drivers twice a day: first in the morning and again in the afternoon.

In return, the union issues tickets, each valued at Rp 1,000.

The union members said the two centimeter by four centimeter pink and yellow tickets were to pay for "security funds for public transportation in the Tanah Abang area."

A senior union official Cipta Wahyudi said the funds were needed to establish harmony in the market, once dubbed as the biggest textile market in South East Asia.

"We are organizing the levies as they have often created tension here," he said.

Wahyudi dismissed speculation that illegal traffic wardens still operate in the streets.

"We have asked pak Ogah to work for us and prohibited them from charging levies illegally," he said at the union's post on Jl. Jatibaru.

He said the revenue would be used to pay for pak Ogah and for the welfare of the union members.

"As a consequence, we'll be ready to maintain security and order here," said Wahyudi, head of IKBT's youth division.

He said the union was ready to discuss the matter with the drivers.

"We're ready to seek a settlement of the matter," he said.

The absence of minivans from the streets had created smooth traffic on Monday, but the move indeed left thousands of passengers stranded.

Suwarni and Mrs. Imam, who just met on Jl. Jembatan Tinggi after shopping at the Tanah Abang market, were forced to share a bajaj (engine-driven tricycle taxi) to Slipi in West Jakarta. Suwarni is a resident of the Kebayoran Lama district in South Jakarta, while Mrs. Imam is from the neighboring town of Tangerang.

"We've been waiting for half an hour, but no mikrolet are operating here," said Suwarni.

There were no traffic jams in front of the Palmerah market or at the tip of Jl. Palmerah Utara in Slipi, the two spots of traffic congestion here, as no minivans were queuing on both sites.

Until 3 p.m, only two or three mikrolet passed the area, but no passengers were transported.

The absence of mikrolet benefited ojek (motorcycle taxi) and bajaj drivers.

Johan, an ojek driver who operates near the Slipi flyover, said he earned big revenue during the strike.

"I usually get 20 to 30 passengers a day. But in half of the day today, I have carried around 27 passengers," he said.

He said he no longer waited for passengers at the flyover.

"I was more active asking the stranded passengers if they needed my service," he said. (nvn/asa)