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Riding the rails on carts
Away we go: Eight-year-old Adon (left) and 5-year-old Robi ride their wooden cart on a disused railroad track near Mangga Dua
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Away we go: Eight-year-old Adon (left) and 5-year-old Robi ride their wooden cart on a disused railroad track near Mangga Dua.
'Hello, Om! Let's go by my lori. It's just ceban.'
The child who called me 'uncle' was standing near what he called a lori ' a simple wooden push cart, parked by the side of an old railway car.
Asked what he meant by ceban, the five-year-old boy, Robi, could only say that the phrase, which is local Chinese slang for Rp 10,000 (81 US cents), meant 'travelling by cart'.
He charged me just Rp 1,000 for the trip we were about to take.
Robi and another boy, Adon, the cart's 8-year-old owner, make a living transporting passengers between Pasar Pagi in West Jakarta to Gunung Sahari in Central Jakarta along a 2-kilometer stretch of disused railroad track.
That's how some children get by in Kampung Baru, which sits near the Mangga Dua railway station and Pasar Pagi.
The carts travel on the tracks on eight iron wheels ' four running on the rails, four running inside the rails to stop the vehicle from tipping.
Dozens of such carts can be seen running along the tracks during busy hours. Carrying from two to five people, the vehicles are operated by children, teens and even adults seeking to earn money.
Apart from serving as ersatz taxis, these railway go-carts, which use no fuel and cause no pollution, are also used to carry construction materials such as timber and cement ' as well as used cardboard to the flea market.
After peak hours, most of the drivers park their wooden carts off the tracks. Only a few continue to work.
Passengers include local residents, employees and students going in the direction of Gunung Sahari. Fares are Rp 1,000 per adult or Rp 500 per student for a one-way trip.
Robi started to sweat and began to breathe heavily as he and Adon pushed the cart forward, now and again jumping on board as it picked up speed.
The boys, howeve, were cheerful. 'I save the money from this to buy books and other school stuff,' said Adon, whose father and older brother have their own carts.
Robi, who does not go to school, says he spends his earnings on snacks. 'I join Adon every day because my father can't afford to build a lorry for me.'
'I'm strong enough to push a cart with six grownups on my own,' boasted Robi, pushing the cart with Adon as we zoomed down the tracks.
'Text and images JP/PJ Leo
