Violators tried in the back of bus

Violators tried in the back of bus

By Joko Sarwono

BOGOR (JP): A sidewalk vendor from Padang, West Sumatra,
picked the wrong street to set up shop.

Armansyah, 31, was apprehended while selling clothing on Jl.
Merdeka during a clean-up operation initiated by the Bogor
mayoralty.

The officer in charge confiscated the man's wares and took him
to a mobile court in a bus parked on Jl. Juanda, near Bogor
Botanical Gardens.

Judge Endang Suwarti imposed a fine of Rp 5,600 (US$0.70).

"When I was arrested, I had just set up my stall and had only
earned Rp 2,600," Armansjah said. "I haven't even had anything to
eat today," he said, showing the judge the money he possessed.

"The fine is lowered to Rp 3,600," the judge said. "You don't
object, do you?"

Armansjah remained quiet but the expression on his face read
disappointment.

"I didn't mean to object to the ruling. The problem is that I
don't have enough to pay the fine," he told The Jakarta Post
after getting off the bus.

Because Armansjah could not pay the fine -- he was Rp 1,000
short -- his confiscated goods were not returned.

He asked an officer on duty to have pity on him but to no
avail.

"You cannot bargain over the amount of a fine because it is
the decision of the judge," the officer said.

Finally, someone offered Armansjah Rp 1,000 to make up the
shortfall. The vendor gave the money to the officer in charge and
made a hasty exit with his wares.

During the mayoralty's latest raid, 18 sidewalk vendors, five
drivers of Angkot public minivans, three becak (pedicab) drivers
and a motorcyclist were prosecuted.

One pedicab driver was caught after he violated local
regulations by entering a becak-free zone.

"I was driving foreign tourists along Jl. Juana when an
officer involved in the raid caught me," Ujang Wahyu said, adding
that he was unaware of the restriction.

"An officer should be on duty or a sign posted at the entrance
to this road to tell people that pedicabs are not allowed to
enter the road."

During the trial, Ujang did not say much and when the judge
imposed a fine of Rp 5,600 he did not object.

"In fact I do object to the fine but I cannot (express my
objection)," he said after the trial.

The Angkot drivers were arrested during the raid because they
failed to install trash cans in their vans.

Two of the drivers, Endang, 35, who plies the Lawang Saketeng-
Ciapus route, and Warsito, 21, who serves the Warung Jambu-
Ramayana route, were each fined Rp 5,600.

"What can I do? Even if there is a trash can, the passengers
will always throw their litter on the floor of the van. So I
moved the trash can to the front seat and used it to keep coins,"
Warsito said.

"I simply accepted the ruling of the judge rather than have my
vehicle registration withheld."

The motorcyclist was taken before the judge for parking his
motorcycle on a sidewalk.

"I was rushing to school to teach when my motorcycle broke
down. I could not fix it quickly so I decided to leave it on a
sidewalk," Abdurrahman, a teacher at state-owned SMA 5 senior
high school, said.

When he returned to pick up the motorcycle it was missing.

"I was told that the motorcycle had been taken away by police
officers involved in the raid," he said.

Of late, Bogor municipality has been intensifying measures to
enforce Law No. 1/1990 to keep the city tidy, orderly and
beautiful.

Violators of this regional regulation will be subject to a
maximum fine of Rp 50,000 or three months in jail.

However, violators rarely bear the full brunt of the law. The
fines usually range between Rp 4,000 and Rp 10,000, all of which
goes to the state treasury.

In addition to punishing people for minor offenses, the
mayoralty is actively spreading the word through pamphlets, radio
broadcasts and driving through the streets and making
announcements via a loudspeaker.

Astiana, head of the mayoralty's legal affairs division, said
the mayoralty is going out of its way to enforce local rules.

"We are striving to enforce regional regulations and see to it
that community members know full well what their rights and
obligations are."

The immediate goal is enforcement, she said.

"Similar raids will later be conducted to enforce other
regional regulations such as those on building construction
permits, resident's identity cards and the like."

The mayoralty has provided the bus -- which has been turned
into a mobile court room -- so immediate action can be taken
against violators.

This bus will enable trials to be held anywhere they are
needed.

The vehicle is equipped with a gavel, a desk and a chair for
the judge and chairs for the defendants, the prosecutor, the
clerk of the court and security officers.

It also has two loudspeakers, which are used to summon
defendants waiting outside.

There are no special guidelines or laws which apply to the
operation of such a bus.

"This is simply moving the court room from the usual court
building to another venue," Astiana said.

It is aimed at informing locals about the presence of regional
regulations.

"We simply want to show the community that if they violate a
regional regulation they may be tried on the scene."

On-the-spot trials are common practices in other cities, she
said.

"However, trials inside a bus can only be found in Bogor
municipality."

In other cities the trials are held inside a tent, she said.