Transport council still idle two months after recruitment
Transport council still idle two months after recruitment
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
It has been almost two months since the 13 members of the City
Transportation Council were announced, but they cannot start work
because the city administration has yet to install them.
"It's anticlimactic, as the administration had urged the
council recruitment committee to complete the recruitment process
immediately," committee member Tulus Abadi told The Jakarta Post
on Sunday.
"Governor Sutiyoso must install the council members
immediately. Many of the selected members are questioning the
seriousness of the administration (in setting up the council)."
The establishment of the Transportation Council is mandated
under Bylaw No. 12/2003 on transportation, which was endorsed on
Nov. 13, 2003, and requires the administration to set up the
council six months after its enactment.
Thirteen of the 15-strong council consist of academicians,
experts, businessmen, representatives of non-governmental
organizations and public transportation workers and users. The
two remaining members are representatives of the city
transportation agency and the city police.
The council is tasked with providing recommendations to the
administration on how to resolve the chronic transportation
problems in the capital, but has no legislative authority.
"Maybe the existence of the Transportation Council is not a
priority for the administration. Otherwise, we would have already
been installed and begun our work," said council member Indah
Suksmaningsih, who is also chairwoman of the Indonesian Consumers
Foundation (YLKI).
Other members include Sutanto Soehodho of the University of
Indonesia and Andi Rahmah of Pelangi environmental organization.
Ari Muhammad of Swisscontact, who facilitated the council
recruitment system, pointed to the administration's recent tour
of duty as one of the causes of the sluggish follow-up. However,
he added that it was not an adequate reason for the delay, since
the announcement on council membership had been made two months
ago.
"The public will question the administration's seriousness in
the council if the governor himself does not immediately install
its members," he said.
Meanwhile, Muhayar Rustamudin of City Council Commission D for
development affairs promised to ask the administration about the
matter.
"I have no idea why the administration has been slow to
install the Transportation Council members. I'll check with
relevant officials," he told the Post. According to Muhayar, the
council's operational costs are to be part of the draft 2005 city
budget.
Tulus said the committee would seek a clarification from the
Jakarta government over the installment issue after Idul Fitri,
which falls on Nov. 15 and Nov. 16.
"If the administration is not serious, our credibility will be
at stake," he said.