Screens for city taxis to be evaluated: Organda

JAKARTA (JP): A trial period for the use of partition screens in taxis will begin at the end of the month, the chairman of the city branch of Organda, a private-run public transport organization, said yesterday.

Aip Syarifuddin said the Director General of Land Transportation under the Ministry of Transportation will authorize the use of the screens after an evaluation.

Organda provided partition screens for several companies to trial after a spate of taxi driver deaths. Aip could not yet determine how long the trial would last.

About 30 taxi drivers have been robbed this year. Last month three drivers were robbed and murdered by passengers.

Some individual companies have equipped their taxis with safety devices which have proved ineffective against armed robberies.

For instance, the safety alarm designed by President Taxi which sends an SOS message to passing taxis when a robbery occurs, has not protected drivers.

Aip said it was difficult to standardize safety devices given the different models of the 18,000 taxis in service.

Aip said the city Land Transportation and Traffic Control Agency (DLLAJ) was evaluating the partition screen's design.

The City Police Headquarters had also been consulted about the design, he said.

"The application of the screen will probably require passengers to sit in the back seat only," he said.

He said it had been suggested that front passengers could be accommodated by adding another screen separating the driver and front passenger.

The cost of installing partition screens in a taxi is unclear. Aip said the companies would be responsible for the cost and consumers should not be burdened with any additional fees.

He said the screen must not hinder passengers' comfort. (04)