T

he city administration will start to enforce a 2003 Transportation Ministry decree on public transportation on Jan. 9 in an effort to curb crimes involving public minivans, which have been on the rise over the past few months.

The decree stipulates that public minivan drivers must wear uniforms and carry a valid public transportation driver license; otherwise they would receive penalties ranging from warnings to a permanent ban from operating public transportation vehicles.

Although the Jakarta Transportation Agency started to promote the regulation a month ago, many drivers still do not meet the requirements.

Muhammad Sa’id, a driver of M01 minivan plying the Kampung Melayu to Senen route, said on Thursday that he had obtained a public minivan driver license but had had not begun wearing the standard issue light-blue uniform as mandated by the regulation.

“I hope I will get the uniform next week,” he said, adding that the operator of the public minivan he was driving had to provide uniforms for 10 other drivers too.

Saefullah, a driver of an M06A minivan plying the Cililitan to Gandaria route, who was wearing the uniform, said that he and the other drivers would follow the rules.

Saefullah said that wearing the official uniform was less comfortable than his normal T-shirt.

“Yet, I don’t mind wearing it because I want to show a good image,” he said.

Saefullah, who has been a driver for seven years, said that minivan drivers should rebuild their reputation as it had been damaged by a string of recent rapes inside minivans.

“Several rape incidents have tainted the image of public minivan drivers. If wearing uniforms and showing the ID will have a positive impact on me, I will do it,” he said.

Amir, a driver of an M09 minivan playing a route between Tanah Abang and Kebon Jeruk, said that he had not heard about the regulation.

“There has never been a sexual harassment case here [on board a minivan serving this route]. This is a relatively safe route and passengers don’t need to be afraid of us,” he said.

However, Amir said, he would consider following the regulation. “I don’t want to get punished,” he said.

Despite the city administration’s recently ramped up efforts to curb crimes inside public minivans, another rape occurred on Wednesday. The victim was a housewife from Depok, West Java, who police identified only as RS.

RS, a vegetable vendor, was on her way to a traditional market in Depok when she was raped by four men onboard a M26 minivan at 3 a.m.

The minivan’s driver was allegedly an unlicensed driver who had borrowed the van, which ordinarily is used on the Bekasi-Kampung Melayu route.

Head of the Jakarta Transportation Agency Udar Pristono said that he was furious about the latest incident.

“While the agency was busy regulating the minivan managements and the drivers, another such incident has happened,” he said on Thursday.

Pristono said that the ubiquitous number of illegal drivers significantly contributed to the sexual assaults against women passengers.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Baharuddin Djafar said that the Depok Police had formed an investigation team to question the victim.

The police will cooperate with the Transportation Agency to increase monitoring and control of public minivans in Jakarta.

“Police patrols alone won’t be enough. We have to implement strict rules on driver ID cards that passengers can recognize easily,” Baharuddin said. (lfr/mim)