Scalpers galore at Gambir station

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Administrative Reform Feisal Tamin made impromptu visits to Gambir railway station and the Samsat (vehicle document processing center) offices here on Wednesday and found that public services were still afflicted by illegal fee and brokering.

During his impromptu visit to Gambir, Central Jakarta, Feisal found that those behind the ticket counters felt they were forced to sell their tickets to scalpers, who then sold them to passengers at exorbitant prices.

"As they threatened me, I have to sell them the tickets," Nia, a ticket seller in Gambir, told Feisal.

She said that actually a ticket purchaser can only buy up to two tickets. But if there are only a small number of passengers, then the buyers can buy three or four tickets.

When the minister asked her how she knew that the buyers were actually scalpers, Nia said, "They come here very often. So we know for sure who are really buyers and who are the scalpers."

Nia complained to the minister that the scalpers accused her of violating their human rights if she refused to sell them the train tickets.

"I'm accused of violating their human rights," she said, causing the minister to smile, and to urge all the tickets sellers not to sell their tickets to scalpers.

"You should be brave enough not to sell tickets to scalpers," said Feisal.

During his impromptu visit to the Samsat office on Jl. Daan Mogot, West Jakarta, a number of people told the minister about the prevalence of illegal levies and brokering fees for the office's service.

"Their information is not necessarily true. But we take it as inputs to be considered," Feisal was quoted by Antara as saying.

According to the minister, people wanting to get a driver's license from the Samsat office have to pay illegal fees of Rp 10,000 (US$1.18) for a blank form, Rp 15,000 for registering, and Rp 60,000 for processing the license.

During the visit, two of the minister's staff members were approached by a number of brokers offering their services for a certain fee.