Residents unaware of traffic compliance campaign

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Amir, 35, an employee at a hotel in Central Jakarta, was shocked when a police officer approached and warned him to wait for a bus at the shelter five meters from where he was standing.

"The officer told me I will have to pay a Rp 50,000 fine the next time I do not wait at the shelter. I did not know there was such a regulation. I guess I have to be careful now," Amir told The Jakarta Post.

Amir was just one of hundreds of people who received police warnings during the first few days of a month-long campaign aimed at punishing traffic regulation violators -- pedestrians and users of motorcycles, public transportation vehicles and private cars.

City police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani said over 1,000 people were reprimanded on the first day of the campaign.

Under Bylaw No. 11/1988 on traffic regulations, violators could face three months' imprisonment or fines of up to Rp 50,000 (US$5.40).

"We gave warnings to about 1,200 people on Thursday, including pedestrians and motorcycle passengers who were not wearing helmets. However, we did not fine or jail them. For the first week, we will just warn them. After that, we will give them tickets," he said.

The bylaw states that pedestrians must use the sidewalk and pedestrian crossings, while bus and taxi passengers must wait at bus shelters.

It also states that motorcycle passengers who do not comply with traffic regulations, including wearing a helmet, can be ticketed.

People who ride on the roofs of buses or in the backs of open trucks can also be punished.

The police should have no trouble finding people to ticket. Most pedestrians, public transportation drivers, motorists and motorcyclists break at least one traffic regulation in the course of trying to beat the city's traffic congestion.

Amir proposed that the police do more to let people know they will now be punished if they do not wait for a bus or a taxi at designated shelters.

Firman said the first week of the campaign would be used by officers to let people know about the drive, and after that officers would begin handing out tickets.

"I think Jakartans will know about the campaign because our officers on the street will tell them if they violate the law," he said.

Firman denied the campaign was aimed at giving police officers the opportunity to make extra money by demanding bribes from traffic regulation violators after the closure of gambling dens in the capital, which allegedly were a source of income for the police.

"No, we want to reduce the number of accidents in the capital, which have been on the increase," he said.

According to data from the city police, there were 4,544 traffic accidents in Jakarta in 2004 and 1,146 deaths.

However, a credible police source said many officers at city police headquarters had complained of losing money since the campaign against gambling began two weeks ago.