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Jakarta Post

City to set new routes for 'delman' drivers

The Jakarta administration on Wednesday promised new locations for delman (traditional buggy) drivers to operate, following a ban on their operation inside National Monument (Monas) Park

Mustaqim Adamrah (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Fri, May 2, 2008

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City to set new routes for 'delman' drivers

The Jakarta administration on Wednesday promised new locations for delman (traditional buggy) drivers to operate, following a ban on their operation inside National Monument (Monas) Park.

"The administration and the Central Jakarta municipality will cooperate to find suitable locations for the delman so the drivers will not lose their income," said assistant to city secretary for people's welfare, Aurora Frida Tambunan.

Representatives for the delman drivers and the Indonesian Poor People Union met at City Hall to discuss the issue.

Dozens of delman drivers protested in front of City Hall, the third time in two weeks, bringing their decorated buggies with them. The administration failed to respond to the first two rallies.

In all three protests, delman drivers urged the provincial and Central Jakarta municipality administrations to grant them permission to operate inside the Monas park.

The municipality issued a ban to their operations last June. The ban was introduced because the municipality said the horses' urine produced a "strong smell of ammonia and polluted the air" while their manure spilled onto the park's grounds.

The drivers were then restricted to operate inside the park on weekends.

Recently, the administration decided to forbid the delman drivers to enter the park altogether.

The drivers now wait for customers in a parking lot on the southern edge of Monas, offering trips around the park on public roads.

The ban has resulted in a drop in their daily income from Rp 150,000 (US$16) to Rp 75,000, said Nanang, who has been a delman driver for 14 years.

Aurora said the park's grounds, now covered with stone blocks, could not absorb the horses' urine.

"As a result, it creates unpleasant smell," she said.

The buggy drivers could operate at the park in the past because the park's grounds were made of soil, which could absorb the urine better, Aurora said.

Previously, Governor Fauzi Bowo said horse urine could cause children to contract acute respiratory infections.

The city's animal husbandry, fishery and maritime department is currently studying a formula which can be added to horse feed to suppress the unpleasant odor.

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