Taxi drivers' behavior

Taxi drivers' behavior

I take Mr. Adwani S.L.'s letter (May 2, 1995) as a starting
point to further protest the behavior of Jakarta's taxi drivers.

More and more often, it happens that before taking in a
passenger, a taxi driver will first ask the destination. If it's
not considered convenient, the taxi driver will refuse to "do his
job" and leave the passenger on the sidewalk.

Indonesia is promoting tourism but its taxi drivers certainly
don't leave a strong first impression with tourists.

I have lived in Indonesia for quite a long time and am
accustomed to such a deficiency. If I have to go somewhere not
too far, I do not even try to get a taxi. I go by bus or bajaj
(three-wheeled motorized vehicle) without any problem.

But a few days ago I was with a Swiss guest in the Mangga Dua
area in downtown Kota and we had to go back to Kemayoran (Ibis
Hotel) in Central Jakarta. Well, I tried at least 10 times to
find a taxi driver "willing to do his job", but no way! "It's too
close was the answer. Finally, we were obliged to go back by bus.
I asked myself: If my guest had been alone, how would he have
managed to reach his hotel? As a foreigner, he couldn't
understand why we were not entitled to get in a taxi, pay the
fare and reach our destination.

It is a driver's duty to take people to their destinations
just as it is a person's right to make use of a public service.

Why don't Jakarta's authorities set up a special team of
plainclothes policemen? Pretending to be customers, they could
check on taxi drivers and punish those who fail in their duty.
This would serve as a warning to all taxi drivers, and help
improve a public service that is most useful for tourists.

PIERO RONCI

Central Jakarta