CNG bajaj less desirable

Four years after the gas-fueled to compressed natural gas bajaj (three-wheeled vehicle) conversion program, the program has apparently been bogged down in morasses.

The new bajaj is failing to attract both bajaj owners and drivers.

Even, the hefty price of compressed natural gas (CNG) bajaj has discouraged many bajaj owners from upgrading their old fleets.

“The gas-fueled bajaj is priced at Rp 18 million [US$2,000] per unit, while the CNG-powered bajaj can cost up to Rp 56 million,” said Hasan, not his real name, who owns 15 bajaj units.

“I can buy three bajaj for the same price as one CNG-fueled bajaj,” he said.

Jakarta is home to 14,000 toxic smoke-belching bajaj.

The administration has launched the program to convert the gas-fueled bajaj to CNG types in 2006 as part of efforts to reduce chronic air pollution in the city, mainly resulting from vehicular emissions.

The two-stroke old-model bajaj uses a mixture of gasoline and machine oil, while the newer bajaj has two fuel tanks; one for CNG and another for gasoline.

Previously the administration had introduced other Bajaj substitutes, such as the kancil (a four-wheeled mini taxi) and mahator (three-wheeled motorcycle), but they were unsuccessful.

Hasan said even though he could charge higher rental fees to the drivers using the CNG bajaj, he said he would not want to take the risk of investing more money in the bearing business.

Rental fee of CNG-fueled bajaj is Rp 100,000 a day, while the gas-fueled one is only Rp 50,000.

“In fact, we could never reap significant profit with this kind of business,” he said.

“Besides, the administration doesn’t even give incentive to anyone who willing to replenish their old bajaj [with new CNG-fueled ones],” said the man who has run his business for 20 years.

Some other bajaj owners also expressed concern that new bajaj would add extra maintenance cost.

Bajaj driver Sudarmo, 30 said he had tried to rent CNG-fueled bajaj but it only lasted five days because he could not afford the expensive rental fee.

“It’s hard to collect Rp 100,000 a day,” he said.

City’s transportation agency head Udar Pristono said from a total 14,424 units of bajaj operating in the capital only 1,219 were CNG-powered.

“We are facing many impediments to implement the program [to replace the gas-fueled with the CNG-fueled bajaj], including the lack of filing stations and higher importation taxes,” he said.

Out of 18 filling stations, only six are operational. They are situated on Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan and Jl. Pemuda in East Jakarta, Rawa Buaya and Karet Pesing in West Jakarta, Pancoran and Gandaria in South Jakarta.

The new bajaj, which is imported from India, is subject to 25 percent import tax.

“The import tax jacks up the price of the bajaj. A new bajaj is tagged at Rp 56 million,” Pristono said.

Pristono said that the conversion was also aimed at reviving the dwindling business because the new bajaj would be more economical.

He said that 1 liter of CNG allows bajaj to travel 30 kilometers, more than the gas-fueled bajaj, which can only travel 18 kilometers with 1 liter of gas.

Pristono also said that the CNG bajaj was also less noisy.