Flooding has become part of life in this town. Each year without fail, Jakartans have to live through the same old routine. Evacuating from homes, if the government makes that possible, or living in without electricity and fresh water. And every year, something new and some place new will be affected by the floods. This year hasn't been different.
The toll road going to the international airport is flooded. TV footage of foreigners and local passengers along with their luggage being ferried on rubber rafts across a section of the flooded thoroughfare is such an embarrassment for a city like Jakarta. They have to wade through water to get onto those rubber rafts and then wade out to catch the buses to the terminal.
And then they introduced trucks, the ones they normally use for garbage collection. They're quite high; and passengers, male and female alike, will have to be helped up those trucks without ladders or other improvised steps. But at least they can keep dry, compared to wading to the rubber raft.
The airport was closed for a few hours. Flights were delayed. Outbound passengers who got to the airport before the flooding had to eat lunch and dinner at the terminal before their flights resumed. Inbound passengers who got in after the airport re-opened were stranded as taxis and other forms of public transportation could not reach the airport. For those who managed to hop onto some form of 4-wheeler, their journey is another 5 or more hours.
Sections of the toll roads, or expressways in other parts of the city are flooded too. Once you are jammed on the toll road, there is no way out. This time around, the main city toll road was jammed up for up to 7 or 8 hours. Drivers and their passengers had to resort to making their toilet breaks just outside their cars, sheltered from public eyes by opened car doors.
And gangsters and others out to make a quick buck have their field day. Kids will be collecting healthy fees for helping to push stalled vehicles. Others help to stop traffic and let vehicles do their U-turns to seek alternative routes to their destinations. Gangsters openly knock on windows and windscreens to collect their dues from log jammed vehicles. Street peddlers sell anything from bottled water to bread at inflated prices to desperate commuters.
So why pay the toll for usage of these roads? Or are they paying a fee for parking there for all those hours?
Even the President is not spared this year. His car got stuck on a main city road and he had to get onto his bodyguards' SUV!
Poor lowly paid workers in the city who managed to get to work prior to flooding end their day walking for miles to get to the next available bus on dry land which is still operating to get home. It's not uncommon for them, after a hard and long day's work, to walk and commute for 5 or more hours just to get home.
Although Jakarta has just elected a new governor, he was nowhere to be seen during the floods. Nor has he made any plans about what he will do to alleviate this regular affair.
In any other part of the world, this would have been declared an emergency, which would have allowed the government to utilise all resources, including those of the military to assist its citizens. With those resources, the military's trained engineers could have built temporary bridging using steel ramps and plates which they surely must have in their warehouse, the kind the Indonesian or any military in the world will have for bridging rivers in a war. Indonesia doesn't need to live with the embarrassment of an inaccessible international airport, nor suffer the economic losses of lost manhours and productivity.
I know Indonesians to be proud and determined people. But when it comes to the annual flooding, Jakartans somehow seemed either to willingly leave their fates in the hands of God or resigned to the fact that this is a part of the cost of living in this capital city of theirs.
Monday 4 February 2008
CONFESSIONS OF A MINI-BUS DRIVER IN JAKARTA
I start my work day early, leaving my house not long after morning prayers. This will also ensure that I catch the early morning commuters, some going to the markets and others heading for work.
Over the years, I've learnt how to rush to get the commuters. The more passengers I take, the more money I take home after paying for the bus' rental. I don't care what happens to the other buses, nor other road users. When I see a commuter, I will definitely cut into the lane closest and pick the passenger up, for the sooner I pack my bus full, the sooner I can speed to the end destination and the more money I make. I can then have a longer break before I have to drive out again. Driving is just like what we do in the kampung or "village". We cross the road whenever we want to. We can walk any which way we want to.
Since I was a little boy, I've learnt to fend for myself. Even if it means bullying others, I want to be able to eat and feed my family. One can only live if one can think that way. Who cares about the others in this world.
Besides rental for the bus, I also have to pay my manager so he will help me get a good bus and a route which makes more money. The police don't stop us much as they know we're poor people trying to make a living, just like them. They much prefer to stop the private cars, especially the luxurious one, as they can get more money out of them. I've ran past red lights many times even with police standing at the junction. But they will pretend not to see me.
In our line of work, getting enough passengers is the most important. Even if we have to stop and pack ourselves three lanes wide, we have to do that at busy junctions where a lot of passengers will need to get onto buses on our route. We don't care about the other road users even if they blast their horns. We all feel that its our right to make a living and to use the roads whichever way we have to. Anyhow, its our government who built the roads for us all to use, so why should we let others use more of the road.
Our biggest fear is robbery, especially at night when we have to drive through quiet neighbourhoods with no law and order. The premans or "gangster" will board our buses and rob not just our commuters but also all our day's takings. We can't report to our managers for they won't believe us. Reporting to the police is pointless too, for they won't be able to catch those gangsters to get our money back, and it will cost me more money plus hours of waiting time just to make that report.
Taxes? We don't care about taxes. I see billboards everywhere asking us to get our tax numbers and pay taxes. But little poor people like us don't care. Why should we pay taxes? Taxes are only for the bosses and the companies which make money from us. Besides, taxes will only make the government officials richer as they have more money to pilfer from. What will the government do for us, little people, even if we pay taxes? Are the roads going to be better? Are our homes safer from flooding? Will we have more electricity and clean water? Will my children be able to get free education?
I, and all my fellow bus drivers, don't think so.
Over the years, I've learnt how to rush to get the commuters. The more passengers I take, the more money I take home after paying for the bus' rental. I don't care what happens to the other buses, nor other road users. When I see a commuter, I will definitely cut into the lane closest and pick the passenger up, for the sooner I pack my bus full, the sooner I can speed to the end destination and the more money I make. I can then have a longer break before I have to drive out again. Driving is just like what we do in the kampung or "village". We cross the road whenever we want to. We can walk any which way we want to.
Since I was a little boy, I've learnt to fend for myself. Even if it means bullying others, I want to be able to eat and feed my family. One can only live if one can think that way. Who cares about the others in this world.
Besides rental for the bus, I also have to pay my manager so he will help me get a good bus and a route which makes more money. The police don't stop us much as they know we're poor people trying to make a living, just like them. They much prefer to stop the private cars, especially the luxurious one, as they can get more money out of them. I've ran past red lights many times even with police standing at the junction. But they will pretend not to see me.
In our line of work, getting enough passengers is the most important. Even if we have to stop and pack ourselves three lanes wide, we have to do that at busy junctions where a lot of passengers will need to get onto buses on our route. We don't care about the other road users even if they blast their horns. We all feel that its our right to make a living and to use the roads whichever way we have to. Anyhow, its our government who built the roads for us all to use, so why should we let others use more of the road.
Our biggest fear is robbery, especially at night when we have to drive through quiet neighbourhoods with no law and order. The premans or "gangster" will board our buses and rob not just our commuters but also all our day's takings. We can't report to our managers for they won't believe us. Reporting to the police is pointless too, for they won't be able to catch those gangsters to get our money back, and it will cost me more money plus hours of waiting time just to make that report.
Taxes? We don't care about taxes. I see billboards everywhere asking us to get our tax numbers and pay taxes. But little poor people like us don't care. Why should we pay taxes? Taxes are only for the bosses and the companies which make money from us. Besides, taxes will only make the government officials richer as they have more money to pilfer from. What will the government do for us, little people, even if we pay taxes? Are the roads going to be better? Are our homes safer from flooding? Will we have more electricity and clean water? Will my children be able to get free education?
I, and all my fellow bus drivers, don't think so.
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