Police to curb online taxi

Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan (AntaranewsKalsel) - The South Kalimantan Traffic Police will immediately curb app-based taxi service or the so-called online taxi which has been operating without license in several areas in Banjarmasin.

Head of Section for Traffic Impact Analysis of Sub Directorate of Law Enforcement of South Kalimantan Directorate of Traffic Police Comr (Kompol) Jumina here said it already has data about the existence of several app-based cabs in Banjaramsin.

She said about nine cabs of online taxi hung in Duta Mall, while two others are in Syamsudin Noor Airport.

Jumina was speaking to respond complaints from conventional taxi drivers, who claimed to be bothered by the presence of app-based taxi service, because of their rates are much cheaper than the regular one.

It was delivered in the dissemination of Minister of Transportation Decree (Permenhub) No26/2017 about public transportation with public vehicles, not in the designated route.

The decree puts several requirements, among which the public transportation must be attached with stickers. In addition, it passed the periodic a road worthiness test (KIR), the upper tariffs of Rp6,500 per kilometer and the lower of Rp3.700, incorporated and has a limited number of taxi vehicles in one legal entity.

"Later officers will come down to crack down in accordance with the Traffic Act against the cars used not for their designation. If they already have a license from the governor no longer need to be dealt with," she said.

The existence of online taxis assessed to be the cause of the tariff gap that could trigger social jealousy and potentially be the cause of the occurrence of things not desirable.

Jumina hopes if conventional taxi driver find any online taxi operating to immediately report to the police or to other relevant apparatus.

"I hope the drivers do not act anarchistically, but hand over to the authorities," she said.

Chairman of the South Kalimantan Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) H. Rustam Effendi said currently the existence of conventional taxis and public transport increasingly squeezed. Earnings earned by conventional taxis are far from expectations.