Trapped by tow truck

Trapped by tow truck

From Kompas

On July 25 at about 5:30 p.m., I had a flat tire in front of
the Jasa Marga office on the Jagorawi toll road while going in
the direction of the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah toll gate. My
driver was unsuccessful in removing the flat tire, and a tow
truck, license plate no. B 9533 SI, with Primkoppol written on
it, a primary cooperative of the police, arrived. We were told
that the car had to be towed immediately and could not stay long
on the side of the road. The fee to tow the car to the nearest
tire repair service was Rp 300,000. While I was bargaining for a
lower fee, my car was hitched onto the tow truck and towed away
before any agreement on the fee was reached. I was forced to
continue bargaining while in the tow truck.

To my dismay, my car was towed less than five kilometers to a
tire service beside the traffic lights of the exit road leading
to Cawang. In the end, I handed over all that I had with me, Rp
170,000, but got no receipt in return.

My advice to fellow drivers who get a flat tire or other
problem on the toll road is that they should wait for an
authorized tow truck with a sticker on the door. Never let your
car be taken by any tow truck which comes to assist you. If you
do, you'll fall into the trap of unauthorized tow trucks.

My appeal to the toll road authorities, who are responsible
for road maintenance, is that they should ban unauthorized tow
trucks from operating.

OEN L.D. SENJAYA

Jakarta