Indonesia’s Police to Get Tough on Driving Permit Issuances

Vento Saudale

Bogor, West Java. The National Police’s Traffic Corps will
tighten its issuance of driver’s licenses as part of efforts to curb
traffic accidents, a police officer said on Monday.

Insp. Gen. Pudji Hartanto, who heads the Traffic Corps, said the
stricter approach to driving permit issuances would also send a message
to the public that a driver’s license was not simply an identity card.

“So far, there has been an understanding that a driver’s license is a
mere identity card,” Pudji said during a meeting here. “The license
should be obtained through a process of understanding traffic, and its
holder should not violate traffic laws and regulations.”

Pudji reminded all traffic units at police stations in districts and
municipalities across the country not to issue driver’s licenses too
easily, reserving them for those who truly qualify for the privilege of
driving.

“Those who fail driving license tests should take it again until they pass,” he said.

Pudji also urged the public to refrain from seeking out shortcuts or
easier ways to obtain driver’s licenses, including through
intermediaries and police personnel working outside of authorized
procedures.

“I am also calling on police personnel: They should not offer various
ways to get licenses to those who fail the test. Police personnel should
have high morals.”

He said the General National Safety Plan (RUNK) initiative, launched by
the National Police in cooperation with other government institutions,
was aimed at safeguarding security, safety and traffic order.

“This has to do with the problems we are facing every day that need to
be addressed,” Pudji said, adding that the program was rolled out in
light of Indonesia’s consistently high rate of traffic accidents, mostly
resulting from traffic violations.

The Bogor district police have already begun to tighten driver’s license
issuances, according to Adj. Comr. Edwin Affandi, who heads the
district police’s traffic unit.

“In Bogor, only those who are really qualified can obtain a driver’s
license, and they must have met all prevailing regulations too,” he
said.

He added that those who failed the driving test were then gathered into a
special room where they were drilled on good traffic and driving
practices, to help them face the repeat test.

The Bogor city traffic police are also taking special approaches to
raise public awareness of the need for traffic order and discipline,
including by distributing flowers, circulars and leaflets to road users.

“We do that early in the mornings in the Orderly Traffic Zones on Jalan
Pajajaran in front of the [Tugu] Kujang monument. The aim is to promote
traffic discipline to road users,” said Adj. Comr. Erwinsyah, who heads
the Bogor Police’s traffic unit.  

Bogor district police records show that there are some 400 applications
daily for new driver’s licenses or extensions, while for the city of
Bogor the figure stands at about 150 per day.