Minivan drivers want police to ticket them

BOGOR: Dozens of drivers of public minivans plying the Sukasari to Bubulak route held a strike rally on Monday at Bogor City Council, protesting extortion by officers from the transportation agency.

"We want the police, not the officers, to uphold traffic rules because they are more firm. Transportation agency officers, on the contrary, often demand Rp 3,000 (35 US cents) from us," said Teguh, 35.

According to the drivers, the officers waited near Jembatan Merah bridge on Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan, which is a dead end, where the minivan drivers often did a U-turn.

The drivers also asked the councillors to help them to talk with the police and the transportation agency on the presence of three different public minivans which had taken over their route.

The drivers were received by councillor Rizal Barnadi, head of the land transportation division at the transportation agency Bambang Budianto and Bogor Police chief of operations Adj. Comr. Nurhadi.

At the meeting, Bambang suggested the drivers report the names of unscrupulous officers to him, while the police officer promised to return order to the streets. -- JP