Pondok Gede terminal protested

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)