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.