Only Jakarta taxis may operate in the city

Only Jakarta taxis may operate in the city

JAKARTA (JP): Head of the City Land Transportation Control
Agency J.P. Sepang reiterated yesterday that taxis from the
capital's buffer zones of Depok, Bekasi and Tangerang are not
allowed to operate in the city.

He said that the prohibition was signed last year by
representatives of his agency and officials from the West Java
provincial government.

"Based on the agreement, taxis from Depok, Tangerang and
Bekasi, are allowed to drop passengers they transport into the
city, but are prohibited from picking up passengers in the city,"
he said.

Sepang was responding to a trend for out-of-town taxi drivers
to pick up passengers wherever they want in the city.

Drivers of Jakarta-based taxis do the same, they drop and pick
up passengers in the outskirts, he said.

According to the agency's data, 18,207 taxis, owned by 27
Jakartan companies, operate in the capital. About 95 percent of
the estimated 4,000 taxis from other cities invade Jakarta
everyday.

Sepang promised to intensify an operation against drivers who
defy the agreement.

Chairman of the city's Transportation Business Development
Agency H.M. Djuhdi said on Monday that the decision to intensify
the operation was taken following complaints from owners of
Jakartan taxi companies.

"They complained that many taxis from outside Jakarta are
operating in Jakarta, which violates the agreement," he said.

The intensified operation was launched two weeks ago and has
frightened many taxi drivers. Some drivers misunderstood the
policy and refuse to take passengers to outlying areas like
Ciputat and Tangerang.

One taxi driver told The Jakarta Post that he was afraid of
being fined by the police if he took passengers to the city.

He continued to refuse even when he was told the regulation
allowed him to take passengers into the city as long as he did
not pick any passengers up. (01/yns)