Zebra Cross operation

Zebra Cross operation

From Pelita

The Jakarta Police have launched three operations
simultaneously, one of them being Zebra Operation to discipline
drivers. Regrettably, the operation has turned out to be very
ineffective as many public bus drivers are getting more reckless
by the day. The police seem to have forgotten the very essence of
law enforcement.

From my observation, many police only want to "take care" of
private vehicles, but leave the drivers of public transportation
alone. These drivers seem to be able to do whatever they want on
the street; they stop anywhere they like to take on or put off
passengers, they sometimes commit traffic offenses under the very
noses of police officers. Traffic disorder has become a fact of
life in many areas of this city such as the Slipi intersection,
Grogol, Senin, Matraman and the Semanggi cloverleaf near Jakarta
Police Headquarters.

One Metromini bus driver warned of the possibility of getting
a ticket for an offense he committed retorted: "Police, sir? That
has been arranged by the "timer". By "timer" he meant an hourly
charge inclusive of a fee for the police imposed on drivers.

When the bus was moving along Jl. Rasuna Said, Kuningan, the
driver said, pointing his finger at a traffic light: "There it
is, sir! The traffic lights are placed there to trap drivers. He
was referring to the two traffic lights used for pedestrians to
cross the street which are said to be a "lucrative place" for the
police.

God knows whether there is some truth in the driver's story.
But I have one question to ask the police chief: Who is the Zebra
Operation really meant for?

MH RUSDI

Jakarta