Screens for city taxis to be evaluated: Organda

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)