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Airport operator asks govt to handle social problems
Authorities at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, located in Tangerang, called on the local government to assist in attempts to clean up the facility’s image, which it says has been tarnished by illegal activities such as unlicensed vending and ticket scalping
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uthorities at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, located in Tangerang, called on the local government to assist in attempts to clean up the facility’s image, which it says has been tarnished by illegal activities such as unlicensed vending and ticket scalping.
“We will never give up [trying to overcome the problems] but we admit we will never be able to handle these social problems without assistance from the government,” the airport’s general executive manager, Haryanto, said on Monday.
He identified the growing problems facing the airport authority as illegal porters, street vendors, shoe polishers, beggars and scavengers; as well as ticket scalpers and illegal taxis that have undermined the airport’s reputation.
“The problems we’re facing are very complicated and therefore we can’t hope to manage them alone,” he said.
According to Haryanto, in response to ongoing public complaints, airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II in 2007 began focusing priority on improving cleanliness and comfort at the two original terminals.
“Since 2009, there have been no complaints concerning dirty toilets and terminals, therefore this year we begin focusing on the improvement of passengers’ security and safety by applying screening check points for all passengers at the terminals,” he said.
Haryanto admitted the airport operator fell short of upholding public order, saying that was because the root lay in wider social problems.
“[The reason why] the operator could not handle the problems alone. It need the government’s intervention.”
Meanwhile, Roch Agus, security chief for vital objects and perimeter at the airport, mentioned airport security officers sanctioned 19,391 public order violators at the airport in 2009.
The violators consisted of 7,829 street vendors, 407 illegal porters, 1,392 shoe polishers, 1,663 ticket scalpers, 1,177 parking violators, 6,169 illegal taxis, 227 scavengers, 127 motor cyclists, 122 entry pass users, 33 cyclists, 17 scalpers of illegal migrant workers and 58 goods scalpers.
Also included in the confiscated list were 11 stoves, 15 mobile phone vouchers, 9 counterfeit banknotes and 17 motorcycles. “We were confused what to do to the violators because we are not authorized to enforce public order,” Agus said.
He said some of those netted in routine operations were handed over to government-run shelter in Kedoya, West Jakarta, but have since returned to the airport, committing the same violations.
Haryanto said the shelter had even given up accommodating public order violators from the airport due to overcapacity.
“I think there should be an integrated task force involving the central government, Banten provincial administration, Tangerang municipal and regency administrations to cope with the social problems,” he added.
The Soekarno-Hatta International Airport is located on some 2,000 hectares plot of land that stretches along Tangerang municipality in the southern part and Tangerang regency in the northern part of Banten province.
