(JP/Slamet Susanto)

The becak, or pedicab, remains a common sight in Yogyakarta, frequently seen shuttling visitors along the main thoroughfare of the tourist town ' even though the means of transport has been outlawed or phased out in major cities throughout Indonesia.

Now, the venerable vehicle has been given an environmentally friendly makeover from a 39-year-old home tinkerer, Winawan Mardi Raharja, a resident of Bumijo, Yogyakarta.

Overwhelmed by pity as he noticed middle-aged becak drivers pedaling laboriously up hills as passengers stood by waiting, Wiwin set out to reduce the burden on drivers about a year ago.

'Going by becak should make tourists feel more relaxed while enjoying the atmosphere of Yogyakarta and the vehicle still has fairly good prospects,' Wiwin said.

Wiwin conducted many trials at his workshop on Jl. Demangan Tengah in Yogyakarta, aiming to create an effective and efficient hybrid electric becak that did not abandon its traditional, economic, safe and environment-friendly nature.

The final model he's developed uses four 12-volt batteries connected to a DC dynamo to produce 500 watts that are used to turn the bicycle gears that propel the vehicle.

While maintaining the vehicle's original form, Wiwin has equipped his hybrid with safety parts such as side view mirrors, headlights for long and short distances and a pad- brake similar to that of motorcycles.

To ensure travel is comfortable, the becak uses motorcycle tires and the driver is given a speedometer, battery indicator and taxi meter.

For the safety of passengers, maximum speed is set at 20 kilometers per hour because the vehicle is turned by twisting its passenger seat. 'If it turns at a speed higher than 25 kilometers an hour, its passengers are prone to fall out.'

'The main advantage of an electric becak is certainly its environmentally friendly characteristics,' he said.

Battery charging takes only three hours for a charge that can last for 35 kilometers. 'This type of becak also needs minimum maintenance and there's no fuss about fuel. If we charge batteries properly they can last for 1.5 years,' he added.

When batteries run low, the vehicle's pedaling mechanism remains functional and the driver can take over.

The primary problem of building the hybrid becak is its imported dynamo, which can cost around Rp 6.5 million, pushing the entire price for the vehicle to Rp 13.5 million.

With limited capital, Wiwin can't afford to produce a large number of hybrid units. He builds only on received orders, with four hybrids already ordered so far.

The becak produced will be used to serve tourists like taxicabs, with the fares set by meter.

'We're studying and making improvements. The becak will be placed on standby at hotels for transporting tourists wishing to go on a Yogyakarta tour,' said Iwan, who made a hybrid becak order.

'Many becak drivers do the job as their only livelihood. They certainly can't build electric becak themselves,' Wiwin said. 'If I hadsufficient capital, I would produce the hybrid units for them to pay for in installments on a monthly or weekly basis.'

With the potential of becak for tourist transportation, Wiwin says he hopes that the Yogyakarta administration will set up a capitalization cooperative, loaning money to buy electric becak to drivers, who would repay in installments.

Wiwin says that electric becak will expand tourist sightseeing in the city, transforming the vehicles into unique tourist attractions themselves in Yogyakarta.

The father of two graduated from a mechanical engineering vocational school in 1994 and has been fond of tinkering with machines ever since. 'I didn't attend college but I've learned from mechanical and electrical specialists.'

In 2005, Wiwin opened his workshop, Mobil Listrik Jogjakarta (Mobilijo), of Jakarta Electric Cars. He also produces electric cars. 'I spent Rp35 million to build a simple electric car. It's not so bad,' he says. 'It's suitable for going to the market and taking children to school without worrying about fuel'.

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