The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The city police and the Jakarta Transportation Agency will hold regular joint operations to catch traffic offenders, especially those misusing busway lanes.
The decision was made during a forum held at City Hall on Tuesday, following a dispute between traffic police and transportation agency officers over the misuse of busway lanes by regular vehicles during traffic jams.
The forum included the city administration, City Council, the police, the transportation agency and the Jakarta military command.
City secretary Ritola Tasmaya said the joint operation would also involve military police officers.
"Basically, officers from the local military command, military police and the transportation agency will help catch traffic offenders, but it is only the police who have the authority to issue traffic infringement tickets," he told reporters.
He said the forum participants agreed that regular vehicles should not be allowed to use busway lanes except in "emergency" situations.
Jakarta Police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Rajiman Tarigan said the police would no longer consider traffic congestion as an emergency situation.
"Flooding is an example of an emergency situation where motorists may pass through busway lanes," he said.
Last week the traffic police and transportation agency officers came to heads after traffic police allowed regular motorists to use the busway lane on Jl. Letjen Suprapto, Central Jakarta, to escape traffic congestion.
The transportation agency officers in charge of monitoring busway lanes issued the motorists with tickets. Angry drivers vandalized the officers' car parked nearby.
Seven transportation agency officers and several drivers were questioned as witnesses by the Central Jakarta police precinct following the incident.
Governor Sutiyoso objected to the questioning of his officers, arguing they were only conducting their duty monitoring the traffic in accordance with a 2003 bylaw on city traffic.
He said he was the one who had ordered officers from the transportation agency to monitor busway lanes due to the insufficient number of police officers overseeing the lanes.
He recommended a clear division of responsibilities between the traffic police and the transportation agency.
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