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'Bajaj' untouchable despite unruly behavior
Bajaj, the iconic three-wheeled vehicles of the capital, are notorious for their unpredictable maneuvers and disrespect of traffic rules and etiquette
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No limits?: An overloaded bajaj passes through Matraman in Jakarta. Bajaj that carry dangerous loads are prone to road accidents.(JP/Wendra Ajistyatama) (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
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ajaj, the iconic three-wheeled vehicles of the capital, are notorious for their unpredictable maneuvers and disrespect of traffic rules and etiquette. Latest police data has shown another side of the bajaj: The agile vehicles are untouchable, regardless of their drivers' unruly behavior on the streets.
Despite more than 700,000 traffic violation tickets being issued by the Jakarta Police last year, not a single one was for a bajaj. Moreover, bajaj drivers plied Jakarta's streets without licenses, the Jakarta Police said.
According to data obtained by The Jakarta Post, Greater Jakarta's traffic police issued 713,330 tickets to vehicles that violated traffic regulations last year. Motorcycles topped the list of violators with 480,975 tickets, followed by public minivans with 77,938 and minibuses with 50,266.
No limits?: An overloaded bajaj passes through Matraman in Jakarta. Bajaj that carry dangerous loads are prone to road accidents.(JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
There are two types of bajaj operating in Jakarta ' orange-colored vehicles that use gasoline and blue vehicles that use compressed natural gas (CNG). The moniker bajaj is actually the brand name of the vehicles, originally produced in India.
The Jakarta Traffic Police's traffic enforcement head, Adj. Sr. Comr. Hindarsono, told the Post that the police had difficulties in ticketing bajaj drivers that violated traffic regulations, as there were no laws regulating the licensing of drivers of three-wheeled vehicles.
'We hope that in the near future there will be a bylaw that regulates this [bajaj driver licensing]
matter,' said Hindarsono, adding that the police could only seize the drivers' vehicle ownership documents (BPKB) if they violated traffic regulations.
Because bajaj are known for their unpredictable maneuvers, Jakartans have many adages about them, the most famous being: 'Besides the driver himself, only God knows when a bajaj will make a turn'.
Olga Audita Astinanda, a civil servant, said she had witnessed the ferocity of a bajaj driver who was turning a corner in his vehicle. 'I once saw a bajaj roll on the street when it made a turn too fast,' she said.
Olga said that she preferred to take blue bajaj than orange ones. 'Orange bajaj are very noisy and the drivers drive their vehicles recklessly, while blue bajaj are less noisy and their drivers are less reckless,' she said.
The city administration has, as of a few years ago, made efforts to gradually phase out orange bajaj and replace them with blue ones. But a number of orange bajaj are still operating on the streets.
Assed Lusak, an employee of a private firm, said that besides being unruly, bajaj drivers often charge unrealistically high fares to passengers. 'I felt cheated. The driver charged me Rp 15,000 [US$1.33] for only transporting me 200 meters,' Assed said.
He said that in spite of the bad experience, he would still use bajaj as a transportation option. 'If I want to travel a short distance, bajaj can sometimes be a good alternative to ojek [motorcycle taxis], especially if it is about to rain,' he said.
Priyo Pratomo, another private company employee, said that as a motorcycle driver, he was often frustrated by bajaj drivers' reckless behavior on the roads.
'Bajaj drivers do not consider the size of their bajaj when driving on the streets. They drive their bajaj with the mind-set of a motorcycle driver,' he said, adding that bajaj had often nearly grazed his motorcycle when he was riding it.
Regarding the traffic violations, Olga said she encouraged the police to enforce regulations against bajaj drivers that broke the rules.
'The [bajaj] drivers should receive the same treatment as other drivers when they violate traffic regulations,' she said. 'If necessary, the police should confiscate the bajaj of offending drivers.' (ask)
