"Don't call us an ojek (motorcycle taxi) service," said Mahesa Arba, business development manager of Ningrat Limo Bike.

"We're a limousine service on two wheels," he said.

"Hence, the name Limo Bike."

Mahesa said PT Ningrat Muda Mandiri, a company specializing in transportation services, will have 30 Piaggio 120cc Fly scooters on the streets of the city's business districts in early August.

"We are aiming at speed, comfort and safety," he said.

The company is tapping into a niche market in a city where traffic jams often hamper mobility.

"We see many professionals in suits traveling by ojek in business districts like Jl. Sudirman, Jl. Gatot Subroto and Jl. Rasuna Said," Mahesa said.

"We also see female professionals riding bikes in skirts. They use helmets provided by the ojek drivers. We think we can offer a better service," he said.

Limo Bike will serve customers in parts of Jakarta and Denpasar. For its Denpasar service, the company has 10 Piaggio GT 200 scooters.

"We bought the bikes for Denpasar at Rp 63 million (US$6,600) each, the ones for Jakarta cost Rp 29 million each," Mahesa said.

Each bike will have a global positioning system (GPS) unit which will indicate position, kilometers traveled and speed; a helmet for passengers; a 'blanket' for female passengers who need to cover their legs; a vest to protect passengers from wind; and a disposable shower caps which can be worn to cover the head before putting on the helmets.

"The helmet is equipped with a communication device which allows passengers to give directions to the drivers," Mahesa said.

Ningrat recruited drivers who held at least a diploma degree in hospitality, he said.

"We want our riders to have a sense of hospitality. They must be able to speak English," he said.

"We tell them our maximum speed should not exceed 60 kilometers per hour," Mahesa.

"This will be recorded by the GPS device, so we can make sure they don't violate the rule."

Customers wishing to travel by Limo Bike must first register with Ningrat.

"We don't take passenger from the street," Mahesa said.

"So far we have around 12 corporate clients, mostly in marketing businesses, and six personal customers," he said.

Limo Bike will use a voucher system: Vouchers for traveling up to 10 kilometers are sold for Rp 35,000, up to 20 kilometers cost Rp 40,000 and up to 40 kilometers cost Rp 45,000.

"So, those who travel 2 kilometers must still pay for a 35,000 rupiah voucher," Mahesa said.

This price includes insurance, he said.

"We hope to have 60 scooters for Jakarta by the end of this year," he said.

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