More pedicab drivers netted in Central Jakarta

JAKARTA (JP): Personnel of the Central Jakarta mayoralty apprehended 51 pedicab drivers operating in the area on Monday evening, officials said in statement released on Tuesday.

The officials said that 43 drivers netted during the raid had decided to sell their pedicabs to the mayoralty at Rp 250,000 (US$34) each, while the other eight asked that their pedicabs be sent to their hometowns.

The raid was conducted in six Central Jakarta districts: Tanah Abang, Sawah Besar, Cempaka Putih, Kemayoran, Johar Baru and Gambir.

Efforts to ban pedicabs in Central Jakarta began after Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso issued Decree no. 1/2000 this year, which bans pedicabs from operating in the capital as of Feb. 22.

The five day-operation, which ended on March 4, has netted a total of 216 pedicabs, 143 of which were bought by officials of the Central Jakarta mayoralty. The pedicabs were later dumped in a junk yard in Cakung, East Jakarta, while the remaining 73 were sent to the owners' hometowns.

Central Jakarta Mayor Andi S. Abdullah said after the operation that some 150 of a total 1,500 pedicabs in his area were still operating.

The mayoralty said that some 216 drivers had agreed to join the mayoralty's training program that would offer them alternative jobs. More than half of them were scheduled to start training on Thursday.

The new jobs provided by the city administration include vacancies for security guards, vendors, parking wardens and cleaning services personnel.(06)