Police lay down the law to promote public discipline
In a last-ditch effort to address traffic problems in the city, the Jakarta Police Traffic Division recently launched a campaign to promote discipline among drivers.
"We are intensifying our monitoring of areas prone to traffic congestion, accidents and traffic violations, including the misuse of streets for illegal racing," said division chief Sr. Comr. Sulistyo Ishak.
He said every police subprecinct had been instructed to oversee concerned locations in their areas, while the Jakarta Police Headquarters will provide backup as necessary.
Jakarta has 101 police subprecincts in total, including those in the outlying areas of Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi.
"If we cannot solve the traffic woes at least we can help alleviate the problem.
"Our main objective is to promote public awareness of the need to comply with traffic regulations," Sulistyo said.
The public, however, generally gives a cold shoulder to any efforts by the police to address traffic woes. And it is common knowledge that corrupt police officers take advantage of this situation.
"We have seen police officers who are supposed to enforce the traffic rules and set an example to the public intentionally breach the regulations," said Farida, 39, a resident of Cengkareng, West Jakarta.
Another resident, 40-year-old Rois of Bekasi, said: "Just wait and see how the regulations are implemented on the streets. Why should I abide by traffic regulations if I can ignore them and bribe corrupt police officers for just Rp 10,000?"
Sulistyo excused the practice of officers soliciting a "fee" to settle traffic tickets, saying police officers were just supplementing their meager salaries.
Officers, he said, only receive Rp 500 for each ticket they issue. And a traffic violator may have to pay between Rp 150,000 and Rp 500,000 in fines for each ticket.
Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanagara acknowledged that his officers often did a poor job.
"But it is the public's duty to reprimand us when we do something wrong, right?" he said.
Some tips if you are ticketed by a police officer
1. Don't panic 2. Pull your vehicle over to a safe location on the side of the road 3. Have your driver's license and car registration documents ready to show the officer 4. Identify the name and rank of the officer. Don't stop unless the officer is wearing a uniform and can show you an official ID 5. Ask the officer what traffic regulation you violated and the size of the fine. Ask to see for yourself the list of traffic regulations, which the officer should have with him 6. Check whether the charge against you is right or wrong. If wrong, convey your objections politely and don't sign the ticket. Receive the ticket as a summons to appear at a trial. Record the incident chronologically so you can defend yourself before the judge 7. If the charge is correct, ask when and where you must pay the fine and where you can recover your documents or car if they have been confiscated 8. Don't hesitate to ask about anything you aren't sure of, including if you find something wrong with the ticket 9. Report officers who fail to follow the required procedures. You can contact the Police Public Affairs Division at (021) 5234017 or 5709250 for further information 10. Never try to bribe an officer as you could be charged with attempting to bribe a civil servant
Source: Indonesian Transparency Society (MTI)