Pedicab ban in line with Sukarno's hope, says Ali

JAKARTA (JP): Former governor Ali Sadikin testified on Monday that the banning of becak (pedicabs) in Jakarta was in line with the hope of late president Sukarno that Jakarta would become one of the world's top cities.

"I issued decrees in 1970 which banned pedicabs until the end of my term as governor in 1977, and I am thankful that the decision I took was carried on by my successors," Ali, who served as governor for 11 years, from 1966 to 1977, told a Central Jakarta District Court hearing.

Presided over by judge Manis Sudjono, the hearing concerned a lawsuit filed in February by 139 pedicab drivers who claimed to be acting on behalf of 6,000 of Jakarta's becak drivers. The suit was against Governor Sutiyoso, who prohibited them from operating in the capital.

Ali continued: "This city is overpopulated by residents from outside Jakarta, who come looking for work and end up congesting the capital and driving pedicabs. I plead to those non-Jakartan residents to find other means of earning money, by abiding to existing regulations."

He added that city residents needed to know that City Bylaw No 11/1988, which prohibits pedicabs from operating in Jakarta, was a "product of the City Council" and issued later by Governor Sutiyoso.

"City transportation management is at its worst and I ask city residents to accept the fact that transportation here needs to be managed properly.

If pedicabs are allowed to operate here, it could worsen transportation problems," Ali said.

"I ask city residents to consider the public interest first."

Prosecutor Daniel Panjaitan of the Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI), rebuked Ali, however, saying the former governor was prioritizing public interests over human rights.

Ali replied: "Don't link every small thing to a human rights violation."

Later in the evening, Daniel said in a news release that Ali's "discriminative" statement at the district court hearing was in conflict with the fact that Ali himself was a member of the YLBHI board of trustees.

"We, workers of the law, are very disappointed in his statements since he has clearly shown his discriminative side to human rights," Daniel said.

In their lawsuit, the pedicab drivers demanded that the governor allow them to operate in certain areas in the city, such as at housing complexes and traditional markets.

In a previous hearing, Sutiyoso -- in his defense statement -- rejected the plaintiffs' statement, which accused the administration of having resorted to violence in clearing the becak from the city.

The administration has offered to pay the pedicab drivers Rp 250,000 each if they were willing to voluntarily hand over the pedicabs to the government, the governor said in the defense statement.

The offer, Sutiyoso said, was evidence of the city administration's nonviolent approach.

According to the statement, the Jakarta administration also offered training to the pedicab drivers so that they could find other jobs.

The governor claimed that the drivers had agreed to the proposals.

"A total of 2,978 pedicab drivers have handed over their pedicabs, while 1,694 others have returned to their hometowns," he said in the statement. (ylt)