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View all search resultsPolice defend decision to escort Harley convoy amid controversy
The National Police have defended their decision to escort motorbike convoys in Yogyakarta earlier this week despite public protest saying that the service is unnecessary
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T
he National Police have defended their decision to escort motorbike convoys in Yogyakarta earlier this week despite public protest saying that the service is unnecessary.
The police have posted a long explanation on their official Facebook page regarding their decision to escort the convoy of Harley Davidson Club members in Yogyakarta.
The explanation attempts to answer to the public's protests against the police's escorting team, which will allow the convoy to disobey traffic lights.
The case attracted public attention when activists Elanto Wijoyomo and Andika stopped the convoy for their inappropriate behavior in breaching traffic regulations, while the police stood still.
The two men recorded their actions and then uploaded a nine minute video to YouTube under the title "Semua pengguna jalan harus taat peraturan lalu lintas" (All road users must obey the traffic rules), which gathered almost a million views.
In the video, Elanto was heard saying that he stopped the convoy because of the inappropriate use of a police escort that enabled the convoy to ignore the traffic light.
The video sparked public debates on the use of police escorts.
Members of the Harley Davidson Club argued that their request for a police escort during the national event in Yogyakarta was approved by local police officers.
In their defense, the National Police cite the 2009 Law on traffic and land transportation, which mentions the use of police escorts. Despite there being no article mentioning police escorts for motorcycle convoys, the police argue that they can decide who to offer escorting services to.
The National Police chief Badrodin Haiti reaffirmed the police's stance on the issue.
'If there is a request to be escorted, then the police will ask for right of way [on behalf of the escorted party]. But if [a convoy] is not escorted then it must follow the rules that are,' Badrodin said, as quoted by kompas.com on Sunday.
The Cabinet, however, disagrees with the National Police. It states on its official website that the action has violated traffic rules, even though it also admits that the law has a legal loophole that leads to different interpretations regarding who is eligible to receive a police escort. (rad/ika)
