Tegal residents take anger out on passing Sinar Jaya buses

Tegal residents take anger out on passing Sinar Jaya buses

Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Tegal, Central Java

Police in the Central Java town of Tegal stopped all Sinar Jaya
buses from traveling through Slawi district and rerouted them to
alternative roads on Saturday for fear of residents seeking
revenge for a crash that left 18 people dead on Thursday night.

The police also declared bus driver Fachrur Rozi, 38, his
conductor Mukhrir, 25, and bus mechanic Syachroni, 29, suspects
and charged them under Article 359 of the Criminal Code on
negligence that caused a loss of lives. The crime carries a
maximum sentence of five years in jail.

Tegal Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Moch. Iriawan said residents
had pelted two Sinar Jaya buses with stones following the
midnight incident, causing severe damage to the buses.

"We've have to reroute the buses to prevent the outburst of
anger from worsening. This measure will be effective until the
route is considered safe," Iriawan said.

Police had guarded a number of Sinar Jaya buses passing the
route until the decision to detour them was made.

Like other public buses heading for Jakarta, Sinar Jaya, which
plies the Jakarta-Wonosobo route, always passes the main road of
Slawi, which is just a few kilometers south of Tegal.

The detour passes Klonengan and Prupuk districts in Tegal,
Songgom and Ketanggungan in Brebes regency before reaching
Cirebon in West Java.

Iriawan said all three bus crew members had been declared
suspects after police found evidence of negligence. The three are
being detained at the Tegal Police station for further
questioning.

Syahcroni took over the wheel from Fachrur, who felt sleepy,
prior to the accident. The road was slippery following rain and
Syahcroni, who was speeding, lost control of the bus, according
to Tegal Police traffic unit chief Adj. Comr. Situmeang.

The officer said the bus crashed into a number of oil drums
and caught fire. The burning bus then rammed into four parked
motorcycles and four houses before it came to a stop.