New vehicle steal old charm from Jakarta's transportation<\/p>\n
Saya mau tamasya; berkeliling-keliling kota; hendak melihat-lihat
\nkeramaian yang ada; Saya panggilkan becak; kereta tak berkuda;
\nBecak...becak; Coba bawa saya (I want to travel; around the downtown;
\nto see the gatherings there; I call the becak; the horseless carriage;
\nBecak, becak; Please take me around) -- Children's song by Ibu Sud<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): This children's song entitled Becak
\n(Pedicab) was written as an affectionate portrayal of the once
\nsimple and efficient transportation system in the city.<\/p>\n
Children today don't share the affection their parents or
\ngrandparents felt towards the various means of transportation.
\nThe number of children songs praising the \"old\" means of
\ntransportation is a testimony to their charm.<\/p>\n
There were songs about the delman (a horse cart), the trem
\n(trams), the oplet (a twelve-seat vehicle) and the becak, the
\nmajor form of transportation in Jakarta for decades.<\/p>\n
Today's song writers have tried to compose similar songs but
\nhave failed to come up with anything enchanting. This reflects,
\nin part, the current condition of public transportation in the
\ncity.<\/p>\n
Jakarta's transportation may now be more sophisticated (at
\nleast motorized), but it has no charm. Everyone instead finds it
\nboring, hateful, hostile and scary.<\/p>\n
Tutang, 67, who fought in the war for independence, says,
\n\"Transportation in Jakarta in the fifties was much better
\norganized than today.\" This pinpoints why it has lost its charm.<\/p>\n
People obeyed traffic regulations back then, he assured. The
\npolice did their job properly and drivers and pedestrians alike
\nstrictly followed the laws.<\/p>\n
A special license was required for every means of
\ntransportation, including the sado, the kahar (two types for
\nhorse carts) and the stoom vales (Dutch for steam roller).<\/p>\n
\"I believe we were all polite on the streets. It was very
\ndifficult to obtain a driver's license. You had to pass various
\ntests. No one could buy a license,\" Tutang said, before going on
\nto recall how public transportation vehicles stopped at fixed
\nplaces.<\/p>\n
Things have changed drastically. Drivers stop anywhere to take
\nin or let out passengers and anyone can get a license.<\/p>\n
The number of passengers was also limited back then. The
\noplet, mostly built by Austin or Morris, carried no more than
\nseven.<\/p>\n
Today, a mikrolet, which has replaced the oplet, frequently
\nsurpasses its 12-seat capacity by three or more passengers.
\nDuring peak hours, some passengers are even willing to hang out
\nthe door.<\/p>\n
However, not everything was perfect in the old days. Trams,
\ncommented Tutang, were less safe than an oplet. \"My Parker pen
\nwas once stolen by a pickpocket when I took a tram from Pasar
\nIkan to Pasar Baru,\" he recalled.<\/p>\n
Changed<\/p>\n
Transportation in the old days was, according Tutang's
\ngeneration, was orderly, convenient, secure and safe. The drivers
\nwere also disciplined.<\/p>\n
Sadly, transportation in Jakarta has lost these laudable
\nqualities. As the capital became more and more crowded, various
\nmeans of getting around were, for some reason, banned.<\/p>\n
Daredevil races between bus drivers desperate to make a living
\nand rampant theft are the order of the day. Public transportation
\nhas now become a nightmare.<\/p>\n
Steam and electric trams, which were introduced in Jakarta in
\n1881 and 1897 respectively, crisscrossed the capital until the
\n1960s. Horse-carts diminished one by one, under 100 delman have
\nsurvived. About 50 are based at the Ulujami marketplace and
\nanother 30 at the Palmerah marketplace, both markets are in South
\nJakarta. Their few customers are tourists and people seeking to
\nre-live the past.<\/p>\n
\"Times have changed. The delman was like today's BMW, they
\nwere owned only by rich people. Now, we are among the poor, and
\nare blamed for messing the streets with horse manure,\" says
\nMarsali, 25, a delman chauffeur who inherited the job from his
\nfather and grandfather.<\/p>\n
The becak had a more tragic end. Introduced to Jakarta in the
\nfirst half of the century by Chinese traders, the becak quickly
\nwon the public's heart as the most practical form of
\ntransportation along the narrow alleys of housing complexes. It
\nwas among the cheapest ways for the poor to eke out a living.
\nTraffic experts and city officials blamed them for traffic
\ncongestion and the Jakarta administration completely banned them
\nin 1991.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of thousands of becaks were dumped into Jakarta Bay
\nto become a haven for fish.<\/p>\n
The vacuum, particularly in residential areas, was partially
\nfilled by the bemo. This three-wheeled vehicle was introduced in
\n1962 and had freely roamed the main streets before the becak ban.
\nHowever, the bemo couldn't cope with the demand and that lead to
\nthe ojek (motorcycle taxi) to hit the streets and pavements.<\/p>\n
Now it is said that the ojek and the bemo are to be phased out
\nand replaced by minivans.<\/p>\n
\"I don't understand why the government wants to ban the bemo.
\nNo one gets robbed on them. Besides, this is a real form of PATAS
\n(limited passengers) transport. We never take in more than
\nseven,\" said Ujang Juanda, 43, a bemo owner.<\/p>\n
As Jakarta develops into a metropolitan city, the memory of
\nhorse drawn carts and pedicabs will fade. People once believed in
\nthe proverb \"slow but sure\", but now Jakartans are much more
\nrestless.<\/p>\n
What is important to the majority of Jakartans is time and
\nspeed. City planners are now working on a plan to build either an
\nunderground or monorail system to provide Jakartans with
\nefficient mass transportation.<\/p>\n
But a question remains. How can we recover the former charms
\nof Jakarta's transportation network -- convenience, discipline,
\norder and security? (jsk\/als)<\/p>",
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