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Jakarta council rejects return of 'becak'
The Jakarta Council speaker has refused to review a draft revision of a regulation on public order that would allow becak to operate on the city's streets, saying allowing the operation of becak would be a setback for the capital.
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Jakarta Council has refused to review a draft revision of a regulation that will allow 'becak' to operate on the city's streets. (Warta Kota/Ahmad Sabran)
T
he City Council has refused to discuss the planned revision of Jakarta Regulation No. 8 / 2007 on public order, which was set to allow becak (pedicabs) to operate in Jakarta.
The Jakarta administration had submitted the draft revision, but City Council speaker Prasetio Edi Marsudi declined to review the draft, saying legalizing becak would be a setback for the city.
“I believe we shouldn’t downgrade Jakarta residents,” Prasetio said on Monday as quoted by kompas.com.
People in Jakarta should be encouraged to use good quality mass public transportation, such as the Transjakarta bus, commuter line and later MRT, he said.
Inside neighborhoods, residents could use environmentally friendly gas-powered bajaj (three-wheeled taxis), Prasetio added.
“We have to encourage people to use proper public transportation,” Prasetio said.
In the late 1960s the Jakarta administration excluded becak from the masterplan of the city’s transportation system. Former governor Ali Sadikin prohibited the introduction of new becak in 1970.
The City Council passed a total ban on becak in 1988. Former governor Sutiyoso partially lifted the ban to help the city mitigate the impact of the Asian financial crisis in 1998, but the policy lasted for less than a week. (cal)
