Vehicle set on fire in W. Jakarta `bemo' raid

JAKARTA: A raid on three-wheeled public transportation vehicles, locally known as bemo, in Jelambar, West Jakarta on Tuesday, got heated after a bemo owner burned a vehicle in protest.

The raid began at 9 a.m. when 150 officers from the Public Order Agency, Indonesian Military and Jakarta Police combed Jl. Perdana and the Dutamas area for parked bemo. Bemo drivers are known to wait for passengers in these areas.

The officers immediately confiscated the vehicles and lifted them onto a truck, but several owners and bemo drivers tried to stop the raid.

A tug-of-war ensued and the conflict got heated when an owner chose to burn his vehicle rather than have it taken away.

The raid netted 16 bemo, which will be transported to Cakung to be destroyed.

The head of the West Jakarta Transportation Agency, Sholeh Tahir, said the raid was in line with a gubernatorial decree to replace bemo with minibuses.

"The bemo are illegal," he was quoted as saying by news portal beritajakarta.com.

He said as bemo owners and drivers did not possess licenses, he felt no obligation to listen to them. - JP