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