Tangerang drivers fail to stage planned protest

TANGERANG (JP): Some public transportation drivers on the Pasar Anyar-Perumnas II and III housing estate routes in Tangerang yesterday failed to stage their protest against the presence of other vehicles operating with no route permits.

The drivers initially planned to stage a protest at Tangerang city hall and at the office of the Tangerang Land Transportation Agency in their vehicles. However, the authorities succeeded in blocking their way and calmed them down.

Many officers were deployed to persuade the drivers to return to work.

Speaking to the reporters, one of the drivers complained that the illegal cars, with the code numbers of 02, 03 and 05, operate on routes longer than legally allowed, costing them a loss in income.

The public transportation cars with code numbers 02, 03 and 05 are plying Pasar Anyar-Perumnas I routes.

"They frequently take our customers by operating on our routes," said Suherman.

The problem is only getting worse since the Tangerang authority, according to them, has done nothing to solve the matter. Many illegal public transportation vehicles are still operating freely.

However, Mamat Rachmat, the Chief of Tangerang Land Transportation Agency, denied the allegation that the agency has never done anything to curb the operation of illegal transportation.

"This month the agency has seized around 50 illegal cars in two raids," he said, adding that the drivers of the legal vehicles have never submitted formal complaints to his office.

According to the Chairman of the Organization of Tangerang Land Transportation Owners, H. Holil, the presence of illegal public transportation cars is probably the action of some irresponsible car dealers.

"They have persuaded people to buy their cars that are the same color as the legal ones and assure them that route permits are easy to get," Holil said.

The aborted driver protest, which was to have taken place from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., left the many passengers who wanted to go to either Pasar Anyar or Perumnas II and III complex deserted. (13/mas)