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"Pak Ogah" salary discussions stuck at red light
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A traffic attendant (supeltas) holds up his vest. The Jakarta Police have said that they were in talks with Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno who they claimed planned to support the supeltas. (JP/Maksum Nur Fauzan)
T
he fate of voluntary traffic attendants (supeltas), colloquially known as "Pak Ogah," ubiquitous on the streets of Jakarta, seems to be stuck behind a red light.
The Jakarta Police initiated a policy last year to hire Pak Ogah and train them to be traffic attendants. The idea, however, was opposed by then governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat who argued that they should not be paid with the city's budget as “they volunteer.”
However, Jakarta Police traffic management director Sr. Comr. Halim Pagarra said he had been in talks with Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno, who plans to support the supeltas.
“I haven’t enquired about the details of the supposed support, nor the salary. I am hoping it will be in accordance with the minimum provincial salary (UMP)," said Halim.
Halim explained that they had held training sessions for the supeltas all over Jakarta, with uniform vests provided courtesy of several supporting banks and companies.
Since October last year, Halim had expressed his interest in meeting with Governor Anies Baswedan and Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno to discuss the supeltas’ salary.
Separately, deputy head of the Jakarta Transportation Agency Sigit Wijatmoko said that as the supeltas were recruited, trained and managed by the Jakarta Police traffic directorate, they were not considered part of the Jakarta regional working unit (SKPD), and therefore not entitled to be funded by the regional budget.(jlm)
