'Bajaj' owners stand by their old vehicles

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 01/03/2007 2:27 PM  |  Jakarta

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Bajaj owners are reluctant to replace their old three-wheeled taxis with new ones; not because of the cost but because they doubt the success of the initiative.

Yatun, who owns 100 bajaj, said she was afraid the new bajaj would go the way of the kancil, the gasoline-powered four-wheelers that were introduced to the city in 2004.

The administration had once considered subsidizing the replacement for bajaj operators, but many bajaj drivers objected because they considered kancil too expensive at Rp 45 million per unit.

Only a few hundred kancil have ever operated in the city.

""It is not that I don't support the program, but I just don't want to put my business at risk,"" Yatun told The Jakarta Post last week.

""I plan to replace my bajaj gradually, by five units at a time,"" said the woman whose bajaj pool is located on Jl. Pakubuwono in South Jakarta.

The Jakarta Transportation Agency plans to replace the 14,424 old bajaj with compressed natural gas (CNG)-fueled ones, which cost Rp 38 million each.

The old bajaj cost Rp 15 million.

So far only 87 units of the new bajaj are traversing city streets.

""Before I replace all of my old bajaj with new ones, I need to be sure I can make the payments,"" she said, explaining that she would have to pay about Rp 1 million a month for two-and-a-half years for each bajaj.

Another owner, Sugiyanto, has a different reason for not wanting to get rid of his old bajaj.

He said the old bajaj were able to carry loads of up to 400 kilograms, while the new bajaj could only carry a weight of 200 kg at most.

""The new bajaj hold some appeal, but I still like the old ones,"" he said. ""I won't make the transition until the administration forces me.""

Otek, who has been driving a CNG-fueled bajaj around Mayestik Market in South Jakarta for about two months, however, is happy with the new vehicle.

""I like it better because it can do up to 80 kilometers an hour, whereas the old bajaj have a maximum speed of 60 km an hour,"" he said.

""Besides which, it is quiet and clean -- and the fuel is cheaper.""

The current price of CNG is Rp 3,000 per liter while a liter of gasoline is Rp 4,500.

He said the only problem was the lack of CNG filling stations in the city.

""There are no filling station around here,"" he said, explaining that he had to go to Pancoran, west of Jakarta, to fill up his bajaj. (04)

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