Scalpers galore at Gambir station

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.