Pondok Gede terminal protested

BEKASI (JP): Drivers of small public transport vans in Bekasi, a suburb east of Jakarta, protested against the dangerous layout of the new Pondok Gede terminal.

Hundreds of drivers expressed their discontent for the newly built entrance to the terminal which they claim is much too steep. The terminal is being built along with the renovation of the Pondok Gede market by PT Surya Bintang Mitra, a private developer.

The head of the Bekasi Regency Traffic and Land Transportation Control Agency, Endang Durachim, concurred with the drivers about the hazardous nature of the entrance and has asked the developer to correct the fault before the terminal's scheduled opening in a fortnight.

The incline may very well cause a crash between the incoming and outgoing vehicles, Endang said.

The head of the drivers union has also sent a letter to the terminal's chief threatening to boycott the terminal should the developers fail to correct the dangerous entrance.

Poor construction standards have plagued many new projects in Bekasi in the past few years causing the delay of several projects such as Pasar Baru Bekasi whose May 1992 opening was postponed for six months due to improper construction.(12/mds)