Minivan drivers go on strike over illegal levy

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)