Poor towing service is a civil matter: Police

JAKARTA (JP): Police said yesterday that the dispute between motorists and towing company workers over the companies' service should not be reported to police because it is a civil case.

"Towing service companies are all private firms. If some motorists get unsatisfactory service from them, they should file complaints with the firms, not the police. They can even sue the companies for poor service," Lt. Col. Herman S. Sumawiredja, chief of the investigative unit of the traffic directorate at the city police, told reporters yesterday.

Herman was responding to a report from a motorist on Friday that he had been overcharged by the Jakarta Towing Service, a company owned by the Primkopol police cooperative.

A motorist who asked not to be named told reporters that he had been asked by the firm's employees for Rp 290,000 (US$135) for the service of towing his "Isuzu Panther" van from the Sukarno-Hatta Airport toll road to his house on Jl Pejaten, South Jakarta. The location is about 30 kilometers from the motorist's house.

According to rate stipulated by the firm, the client should only pay Rp 105,000 ($48.50).

"It is merely a civil case between the firm and the motorists. Police need not get involved," said Herman.

Herman said that, so far, the government had yet to regulate the rates of towing service so that was up to motorists and towing firms to negotiate about the fees.

Government regulation No. 43 of 1993 on infrastructure and traffic stated the rates for towing services were to be stated in a ministerial decree.

"To date, however, no ministerial decree has been issued on the matter," Herman said.

Association

Herman also said the towing services in the city had no organization to supervise quality, rates or areas of operation, so firms had complete latitude on how they ran their operations.

We already have a plan to gather them all in the near future in an effort to get them to set up an association," he said.

There are two major towing service in the city, the AA Club and the Primkopol.

Herman said police would also hold license inspections in the near future on all car towing service companies in the greater Jakarta area.

"I know there are many unlicensed towing service companies operating in the city. It is high time that we take action against unlicensed companies," Herman said.

According to a gubernatorial decree of 1987, licenses to run a towing service must be issued by the Land Transportation and Traffic Control Agency (DLLAJ)). (jsk)