Although smoking on board public transportation is prohibited under a 2005 bylaw, some drivers, bus assistants and passengers continue to puff away without official stepping in to put them out.

This is because the city transportation authority has not yet fully prioritized the smoking ban.

“We do not have a special program dedicated to enforcing the smoking ban on public buses,” head of the land transportation agency, Hendah Sunugroho, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

“We cannot make it a priority because we have to handle many other traffic violations by public transportation drivers.

“Passengers that don’t smoke need to help us by reminding others  not to while on public buses.”  

But, even when passengers protest, a mere grumble might not be enough for violators to snuff out their cigarettes.

Dina, a public transportation passenger, said, “I have learned to be more assertive and let smoking passengers know that I am uneasy with their smoke.

“Some are willingly to put out their cigarettes, but many more continue inhaling.”

Hendah said the agency was considering making the smoking regulation part of its jurisdiction.  

Transportation agency officials can ticket public transportation drivers for a lack of documents, speeding and route violations, and drivers can lose their license for a traffic offence.

“No one has lost their license for smoking on board a public bus,” Hendah said.

Iwan, a minibus driver, said he was aware of the smoking ban.

“I have never been caught smoking while driving,” he said. “None of my fellow drivers have.”   

The agency, in cooperation with the Jakarta Environmental Management Board, staged an 11-day series of raids in November last year to net smokers breaking the bylaw. The board made 109 arrests.

However, the head of the board’s environmental pollution at the board, Ridwan Panjaitan, told the Post the bylaw had not been effective due to the absence of a continuous program of enforcement.

“There isn’t a specific budget allocated toward controlling smoking on buses,” Ridwan said.

The board was only allocated around Rp 200 million for the year to enforce the ban, he added.

The bylaw carries a maximum six months in prison or a Rp 50 million (US$4,421) fine.

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