Salatiga "dokar" coachmen fight for their existence

Text and Photo by Andreas Harsono

The Jakarta Post

SALATIGA, Central Java (JP): As dusk falls, the dimly lit street of Margosari suddenly turns into a coachmen's haven for dokar, or horse-drawn carriages, after a long day of hard work competing with the growing number of minibus drivers in this small but well-reputed college town.

It is there on Margosari, a street which by night become a horse-drawn carriage terminal, that dokar coachmen take a break, feed their horses, have dinner together and vent their frustrations from the unpleasant experiences of the day. 

The presence of dozens of horses at the spot had earned the street a nickname: "Texas of Salatiga."

Dokar, derived from the Dutch word dokar, are traditional horse-drawn carriages still used in small towns and districts throughout Indonesia. 

Salatiga has maintained the existence of dokar as well as the unifying spirit of the coachmen, thanks to the struggle of the Association of Dokar Coachmen (Persatuan Sais Dokar, PSD). 

“For years we have been trying to maintain the number of dokar here, because we believe this means of transportation reflects our culture, and does not pollute the air,” said Achmadi, currently the chairman of the association, which he and his colleagues founded in January 1991.

Dokar are also essential for the public in Salatiga as, unlike minivans, for example, they take passengers to their doorsteps and operate until early morning.

PSD, a non-governmental organization with a current membership of 279 dokar drivers, is entirely run by coachmen to promote dokar as environmentally friendly vehicles as well as to improve the welfare of its members.

Achmadi and his colleagues have succeeded — at least for the time being — in turning the tables on the town council’s 1990 policy of banning dokar from roaming the streets of Salatiga, on the grounds that horse dung make the streets smelly and dirty.

“We were cornered, because we were not organized. The officials said that dokar are against modernization,” an elderly member of the PSD noted, reminiscing on their initial struggle to defend their means of livelihood.

Besides urging coachmen to make sure their horses’ “dung bags” function well, Achmadi and the founding members of PSD talked to many people, held meetings and sought public sympathy.

Responding to the coachmen’s appeal, a number of students from the Salatiga-based Satya Wacana Christian University staged a protest at the town council against the plan to ban dokar.

The coachmen also had a separate informal meeting with the councilors.

The joint-efforts bore fruit. Chris Widiarnoko, chief of the local Municipal Land Transport and Traffic Agency (DLLAJR) said the local government will even build a dokar terminal.

Meanwhile, Director General of Land Transportation, Soejono, whom PSD met with in Jakarta, stressed that the new Traffic Law still recognizes the existence of non-motorized vehicles.

“We learned a good lesson from that experience. Coachmen should organize themselves,” said Sukardi, the secretary of PSD, who is frequently found reading a book while waiting for passengers.

Armed with basic modern organizational skills, PSD members started to work. They campaigned for dokar parades, sought legal aid for members involved in traffic accidents, encouraged savings and lending activities and conducted training in basic managerial skills.

Network

PSD’s self-reliance has attracted the attention of scores of coachmen and researchers, as indicated by their visitors’ book. Visitors have come from the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, Japan and other Asian countries. PSD’s network has also expanded to neighboring towns in Central Java, like Ambarawa, Ungaran and Kertasura.

“We have good relations with some of the coachmen there,” Sukardi said.

Numiko Ueda, a Japanese post-graduate student, is currently conducting research among dokar drivers. 

Her husband helps her write the questionnaires in Javanese," Achmadi said, referring to the local language used in Central and East Java.

The coachmen's association also diligently follows the latest development of dokar cases elsewhere — such as dokar being banned in Palu, Central Sulawesi, and in Mataram, (where horse-drawn carriage is called cidomo), which is the provincial capital of West Nusa Tenggara on Lombok Island. Sukardi, an avid reader, is assigned to gather clippings from newspapers and magazines.

"He's a clipping maniac," said the bearded Suwarno, another founder of PSD.

"We are deeply concerned with those bans. We really want to use our experience to help them. But we can't afford to go and meet our fellow coachmen in those two places," said Achmadi at his ten-square-meter office on Jl. Margosari.

Last November, PSD sent a letter to President Soeharto, asking the head of state to lend a helping hand to preserve the dokar operation nationwide so coachmen will not lose their source of income.

Sukardi added that, based on a researcher's recommendation, PSD has received a Rp 10 million (US$4,716.98) cash donation from ICCO (Interchurch Organisation for Development Co-operation), a Dutch funding agency in Zeist, Netherlands, to help its activities.

Illegal buses

"Our objectives are actually in line with the government's policy to help small people and to combat poverty," Sukardi added.

Coachmen, he said, face a steady decrease in income with the increase in motorized public transportation.

The average daily revenue for a coachman is now Rp 6,000 ($2,830) which includes Rp 2,000 (94 cents) for the treatment of their horses and Rp 100 (5 cents) for the daily membership contribution.

However, "We're not against motorization," stressed chairman Achmadi.

What makes matters worse, he said, is that the number of motorized public vehicles exceeds the quota set by the local office of the Transportation Ministry.

He said both the local police and DLLAJR tolerate such practices.

"There are too many public motor vehicles. Besides, the illegally operating minibuses often violate traffic regulations and pick up passengers at illegal places. DLLAJR never conducts a feasibility study when they issue new licenses," said Sukardi in an annoyed tone.

Many PSD members complain that now it is difficult to let their children continue studying after elementary school because they cannot afford the tuition fees.

"Imagine, what will happen to our children when dokar operations are limited," one of them said.

Photo Caption: Coachmen in Salatiga, Central Java, have organized to defend their threatened livelihood in the face of motorization, Pictured here (left to right) are Achmadi, chairman of the coachmen's association, Persatuan Sais Dokar, Wagimin, the treasurer and Sukardi, the secretary.