'Bajaj' still get the adrenaline running<\/p>\n
After carrying Jakartans around for almost 30 years, the days of
\nthe bajaj (three-wheeled motorized vehicles) are numbered. The
\ncity administration will phase out the Indian-made bajaj in favor
\nof locally made kancil (four-wheeled motorized vehicles). The
\nJakarta Post's Evi Mariani compared the presence of bajaj here
\nand in India, their country of origin, during a visit to Mumbai.
\nThis is the fifth of six articles.<\/p>\n
There are two popular jokes on bajaj that must be remembered by
\nthose who usually travel in them. First, the bajaj's brakes are
\non the driver's shoulder, meaning you have to tap him there to
\nmake him stop. Second, only God and the bajaj driver know when it
\nwill turn.<\/p>\n
Although the jokes are indicative of bajaj drivers'
\nrecklessness, the orange, noisy and polluting vehicle has been an
\naffordable means of public transportation in Jakarta, as well as
\nan alternative for me besides ojek (motorcycle taxis).<\/p>\n
When I went to Mumbai, an Indian financial center, for a week-
\nlong conference several months ago, I found that taxis were very
\nexpensive, as the distance from my hotel to the conference hall
\nwas around 15 kilometers, while buses were confusing for me.<\/p>\n
In practice, I had no choice other than bajaj.<\/p>\n
Even in the country where they were originally invented, bajaj
\nare considered second-class transportation. They are banned from
\nentering the downtown area. Bajaj -- known locally as
\nautorickshaws, autos or three-wheelers -- may travel only around
\nthe city's outskirts.<\/p>\n
The bajaj in India are newer models than those in Jakarta.
\nProducer Bajaj Auto Ltd. has made them larger and sturdier.<\/p>\n
Each bajaj can accommodate up to three medium-size passengers,
\ncompared with two in Jakarta. The driver's cabin still has extra
\nroom for the driver's mate, many of whom I often saw hitchhiking
\nfor a ride by standing uncomfortably on the edge of the vehicle.<\/p>\n
Many passengers, particularly foreigners, felt unable to
\nrefuse when the bajaj driver asked us to share the vehicle with
\nother people.<\/p>\n
\"Two. Come with us,\" said a driver pointing at two other
\npeople, who were grinning hopefully at me, waiting for me to say
\n\"OK\". Indeed, \"OK\" is usually the passenger's reply.<\/p>\n
Despite some uncomfortable rides with other strangers, I
\nlearned a few things about bajaj in India. They use compressed
\nnatural gas (CNG), which is much cleaner than gasoline. In
\nJakarta, bajaj are equipped with a two-stroke engine, which
\nproduces thick smoke.<\/p>\n
The worsening air pollution in the last few years in India's
\nbig cities has prompted the government to promote the use of CNG
\nfor taxis and bajaj, rather than diesel fuel or gasoline.<\/p>\n
However, the noise remains. Albeit slightly quieter, they are
\nalmost as loud as Jakarta bajaj. If passengers are lucky enough,
\nthey may enjoy loud Indian music from the stereo set installed by
\nthe owners of some bajaj.<\/p>\n
Braking is another thing. The joke that the brake is on the
\nbajaj driver's shoulder was also the case in Mumbai. It was not
\nbecause the drivers did not hear my voice, but they insisted on
\nspeeding along, regardless of whether the road was empty or
\ncrowded.<\/p>\n
As a result of speeding, \"I almost died!\" has been a familiar
\ncomment uttered by people who have just finished a bajaj journey.<\/p>\n
The bajaj we took had frequent near-misses with a variety of
\nother vehicles -- bajaj, taxis, private cars, buses or even large
\ntrucks.<\/p>\n
From what I have learned, bajaj in Mumbai and Jakarta are as
\nagile as panicked cockroaches when dodging potential human
\nkillers. No matter how large or small the differences may be, the
\nbajaj spirit will not die easily.<\/p>",
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