Track races go on amid police prohibition

Damar Harsanto The Jakarta Post Jakarta

A regular "track race" turned out to bring bad luck to Dwi Karno, 21, as he hit a police patrol car during a race with his peers on Jl. Benyamin Sueb in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta on Tuesday.

Two police officers, Second Insp. Pujiono and Second Brig. Gustomi drove to the scene after they were given information of the race that often took place there.

Upon their arrival, Dwi lost control of his speeding Suzuki Satria motorcycle and hit the patrol car. His motorcycle was badly damaged and he fractured his right ankle. The front window of the patrol car was shattered and the front part of the car body was dented.

Jakarta Police Traffic Division chief Sr. Comr. Sulistyo Ishak said that police have been intensifying monitoring several locations where such races frequently occurred.

"We have identified 13 locations in the city which have been regularly used by youths to have these races. We have deployed more personnel to monitor those places," he said.

Sulistyo said that police banned racing on streets for safety concern.

"Racing on streets will put other motorists' lives and theirs in danger. Most of the youths tend to ignore traffic regulations when speeding with their friends," he said.

Most of the youths raced prior to the breaking the fast time.

The Jakarta Post observed that the races usually took place on Jl. Benyamin Sueb, Kemayoran, Central Jakarta; Jl. Arteri Pondok Indah, South Jakarta; Jl. Casablanca, South Jakarta; Jl. Puri Kembangan, West Jakarta; and Jl. T.B. Simatupang, South Jakarta.

Law No. 14/1992 article 61 par. 3 on traffic stipulates that a motorist who uses the road not in line with the road rules will face up to a Rp 1 million (US$117.65) fine or a maximum sentence of up to one month in prison.

For breaking the traffic regulation, they will face a similar sentence and the same fine as stated in Law article 61 par. 1.

Police will also intensify their patrol on roads prone to traffic accidents, traffic congestion and traffic violations.

"We have been monitoring 46 roads closely as many traffic accidents occur there," Sulistyo said, adding that most of them are located in South Jakarta and Bekasi.

The worsening traffic woes added with the increasing traffic accidents and traffic violations, police have launched its Operasi Zebra Simpatik Jaya 2003 to take stern measures to violators.