Purging city streets of jockeys 'not easy'

JAKARTA (JP): The municipality is having a difficult time getting rid of jockeys -- people who offer themselves as passengers to motorists trying to beat the three-in-one traffic system -- an official said yesterday.

"It's difficult to wipe out their conduct because most have moved to the smaller streets. They are now present in at least 32 places throughout the city," Toha Reno, head of a public order office subdivision, said.

The jockeys' success in concealing the practice is evident from a sharp drop in the number of arrests during routine raids -- from 447 in August and 887 in September to only 61 last month.

The three-in-one zones, which were introduced in 1992 with the passing of Law No. 14/1992, require each private car to have at least three people when traveling along Jl. Gatot Subroto, Jl. Sudirman and Jl. Thamrin between 6:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. from Monday to Saturday.

The policy was aimed at deterring people from driving their cars to work and encouraging them to use public transport.

After five years of implementation, Governor Sutiyoso considered it to be an ineffective method of easing the city's traffic congestion. Besides falling short of expectations the system also created the jockey problem.

Toha said the jockeys were acting stealthily in 34 spots including Jl. Rasuna Said, Jl. Wahid Hasyim, Jl. Tjokroaminoto, Jl. Menteng and Jl. Sabang in Central Jakarta; Jl. Hang Lekir, Jl. Asia Afrika, Jl. Pasar Minggu and Jl. Sisingamagaraja in South Jakarta. Jl. Slipi, Jl. Tomang and Jl. Palmerah in West Jakarta.

Toha blamed the jockeys for undermining the three-in-one policy and pledged to continue rounding up offenders.

"We will never stop targeting them because they are responsible for the system's failure."

Based on existing data, at least 8,000 jockeys have been rounded up and disciplined over the last five years even though none have been criminally charged.

"We don't have appropriate laws to punish them. We can't put them in jail either because it will only worsen the situation and burden the city.

"Therefore, we can only send the jockeys to rehabilitation centers, including the one in Pondok Bambu, East Jakarta."

The jockeys are primarily children, teenagers, unemployed people and housewives.

"We have no choice but to get rid of them, abolish them from the streets," Toha said.

The head of City Land Transportation Agency, J.P. Sepang, said a meeting at City Hall yesterday about the three-in-one problem determined that the municipality is to set up a program, involving Jakarta Police, to eliminate the jockeys' practices from the streets.

"Governor Sutiyoso wants the city to be free of jockeys if the three-in-one regulation is to be continued. It will be worthless to enforce the rule if the jockeys still exist," Sepang said.

"That is the most difficult challenge for the municipality. Who can promise that Jakarta will be free of jockeys?"

The municipality announced last month its intention to prolong the three-in-one system at least until the general meeting of the People's Consultative Assembly next March.

Sutiyoso said earlier that if the three-in-one system proved to be effective (without jockeys), the municipality will extend its use and probably change the system from a gubernatorial decree to a city bylaw.

"Currently, the city is open to suggestions about a replacement system. If three-in-one turns out to be a failure, we will need new ideas and suggestions from the public to come up with the best solution," he said. (07)