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Out with the old 'bajaj,' in with the new

OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW Two officers arranged parts of old two-stroke bajaj (three-wheeled pedicab) at a vacant lot in Pulo Gebang, East Jakarta on Wednesday

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
Thu, May 8, 2008

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Out with the old 'bajaj,' in with the new

OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW

Two officers arranged parts of old two-stroke bajaj (three-wheeled pedicab) at a vacant lot in Pulo Gebang, East Jakarta on Wednesday.

In the background, hundreds of other bajaj were piled high, awaiting a similar fate. The city administration would later press the bajaj parts using a steamroller.

The measure was made as part of the city administration's bid to replace the old two-stroke engine bajaj with its newer CNG-fueled successor.

The city planned to demolish as many as 250 bajaj starting Wednesday.

"I believe this conversion can benefit bajaj owners and drivers. This will also have environmental benefits because we hope to reduce the amount of pollution these vehicles cause," Governor Fauzi Bowo said Wednesday while witnessing the demolition.

The phase-out program could serve at least three purposes, he said.

First, it would help reduce air pollution because CNG engine emissions are considered less polluting than emissions from two-stroke gasoline engines. Second, it would help bajaj owners and drivers to increase their earnings because CNG was cheaper and CNG-based bajaj are quieter, thus more preferable.

Thirdly, he said, it would reduce the government's spending on gasoline subsidy; the city had estimated that for every 500 bajaj replacements, the government could save up to Rp 6.3 billion (US$684,782) every year.

The administration first introduced the CNG-based model last year, targeting to replace a total of 5,000 bajaj by the end of this year.

Latest data showed there were 14,424 bajaj operating in the capital, 500 of which were the CNG model.

The price of the new bajaj, sold by PT Abdi Raharja, is Rp 38.9 million, while an old bajaj costs around Rp 17 million.

Jakarta Bajaj drivers association chief Tarjono said he expected the administration would give bajaj owners a subsidy to help pay interest on their bajaj loans.

"I agree with the bajaj replacement but the current bank interest, which is 23 percent per year, is too steep for us.

"We expect the interest to go down to around 12 percent," he said. (ind)

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