TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama mandates all taxi companies in the capital to install global positioning system (GPS) devices in every car. Having a GPS installed is considered an effective way to improve passengers' security when taking cabs.

"It aims to control and monitor the movement of taxis in Jakarta," the governor said yesterday.

If a taxi operator fails to comply with the rule, Ahok—Basuki's nickname—threatened to revoke the operating licenses of companies that are often involved in crimes.

In the past week, Jakarta had seen at least two cases of taxi passenger being robbed while riding a cab. Once a passenger got into the cab, robbers who hid in the car trunk came out from behind the backseat and forced the victims to give their money.

The victims all got into a white car modified to resemble an Express cab, donning similar logo and sticker.

Comm. Rikwanto, spokesman of the Police Headquarters, asked all taxi companies to tighten their standard operating procedures in order to improve safety standards. "For example, drivers must be obliged to open their trunks before the passenger gets in," he said. The police are still hunting down the perpetrators who re assumed to be recidivists and old-time players in this type of crime.

LINDA HAIRANI | PRIO HARI KRISTANTO | RIDHO JUN PRASETYO