'Ojeks' a common sight in Bau-Bau<\/p>\n
By Rolex Malaha<\/p>\n
BAU-BAU, Buton, Southeast Sulawesi (Antara): The public
\ntransportation vehicles known as ojek (motorcycle taxis) are a
\ncommon sight in Bau-bau, the capital of Buton district, one of
\nthe world's largest producers of natural asphalt, in Southeast
\nSulawesi.<\/p>\n
There are so many of them that Bau-bau is known as Ojek Town.
\nAlthough not included in the town's official public
\ntransportation system, ojek roam this town of 300,000 from dawn
\nto midnight looking for passengers or taking people wherever they
\nwish to go.<\/p>\n
It is interesting to note that in Bau-bau, formerly the seat
\nof the Buton Sultanate and now the second largest town in
\nSoutheast Sulawesi, ojek play a more important role in
\ntransportation than the official means of public transportation,
\nincluding taxis, public vans and pedicabs.<\/p>\n
One of the reasons ojek have rapidly grown in number here is
\nthat many roads are not included in the routes plied by the
\ntown's public vans. Another reason is that operating an ojek is a
\nmeans of livelihood for many locals, including a number of
\nmigrants from Ambon.<\/p>\n
According to data compiled by the Buton ojek cooperative, the
\ntown is home to at least 2,000 ojek drivers, 350 of whom are
\nuniversity graduates. Driving an ojek is a decent job and drivers
\nearn about Rp 25,000 a day.<\/p>\n
To ensure that ojek drivers abide by the rules of the road,
\nthe Buton traffic and transportation office, in cooperation with
\nthe local police, regularly provide drivers with a course on
\ntraffic rules and signs, and also encourage them to wear helmets.<\/p>\n
Buton district head H. Saidoe said that although ojek are not
\nofficially part of the public transportation system, their
\npresence in Bau-bau has bolstered the development of a number of
\ncenters of economic activity in town.<\/p>\n
The Wameo market is an example. Prior to the arrival of the
\nojek, this market was on the verge of closing because few people
\nwent there. When the public vans were the only form of public
\ntransportation, it took a long time to reach the market, with the
\nvan taking a circuitous route through the town.<\/p>\n
\"Another benefit of the presence of ojek is the establishment
\nof ojek workshops and shops selling spare parts, thus providing
\njob opportunities to hundreds of people in this town,\" Saidoe
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
This has also led to an increasing number of motorcycle
\ndealerships in Bau-bau. Yan, a staff member at a Honda
\ndealership, said sales had increased from five motorcycles a
\nmonth to some 50 motorcycles a month.<\/p>\n
Another factor leading to the mushrooming number of ojek in
\ntown is the income earned by the drivers, who can earn Rp 750,000
\na month, much higher than the salary of a middle-ranking civil
\nservant.<\/p>\n
\"I'm quite happy with my income. I can feed my family
\nproperly,\" said Rachman, 34, an ojek driver.<\/p>\n
Rachman worked in a port before becoming an ojek driver last
\nyear. He said he was now able to earn between Rp 500,000 and Rp
\n800,000 a month. In addition to having built a house, he has also
\nsent two of his children to university.<\/p>\n
Another ojek rider, Haeruddin, 45, has been even more
\nsuccessful than Rachman, now owning five motorcycles. He drives
\none motorcycle himself and leases the other four for Rp 15,000 a
\nday.<\/p>\n
A former fish seller, Haeruddin can now earn at least Rp 2
\nmillion a month from his five motorcycles. He has some money in
\nthe bank and has sent his children to university.<\/p>\n
A migrant from Ambon, Budiman, 35, said he was very grateful
\nhe was able to drive an ojek because the job allowed him to
\nsupport his family and rent a house. His family fled Ambon last
\nFebruary following communal clashes there. Thanks to his work as
\nan ojek driver, his family no longer depends on food aid from the
\nsocial services ministry.<\/p>\n
The financial rewards of driving an ojek has led many civil
\nservants in Buton to take up the job part-time, after office
\nhours. Some of the civil servants use their own motorcycles while
\nothers rent them.<\/p>\n
\"By moonlighting as an ojek driver I earn more than my salary
\nas a civil servant,\" La Masi said.<\/p>\n
The first ojek appeared in Buton in 1993. Three youths, simply
\nfor fun, offered to take some passengers who had arrived at Bau-
\nbau port to their destinations in town for Rp 500 per ride.<\/p>\n
Other people took notice and began charging for rides on their
\nmotorcycles. The industry continued to grow and attract people,
\nincluding a number of university graduates who decided to work as
\nojek drivers.<\/p>\n
The ojek business in Buton peaked in 1998 when Bank Indonesia
\nextended soft loans worth Rp 500 million to the local ojek
\ncooperative for the purchase of 100 motorcycles.<\/p>\n
As is often the case, what is a sweet pill for some tastes
\nbitter to others. The happiness of ojek riders in Buton spells
\ngloom for angkot (public van) operators, who have seen their
\nearnings steadily decline since the ojek began roaming the town's
\nroads.<\/p>\n
Many public van owners are on the verge of going out of
\nbusiness because their income has fallen so much they cannot
\nafford to purchase spare parts.<\/p>\n
\"Since the ojek began flourishing, angkot earnings have been
\ndown by as much as 70 percent. Previously one van could generate
\nRp 75,000 a day, but now the most it can collect is a mere Rp
\n15,000 a day,\" said Jumaddin, who owns several angkot.<\/p>\n
Clearly, it is not possible to operate with revenue of Rp
\n15,000 a day. This is not enough money to pay the driver, let
\nalone purchase spare parts, which have, on the average, risen in
\nprice by 200 percent.<\/p>\n
As a result, many angkot owners have shifted to ojek, while
\nothers have reduced the size of their fleets.<\/p>\n
The secretary of the Buton branch of the Regional
\nTransportation Organization, La Ode Asraruddin, said the
\norganization's members were facing difficult days.<\/p>\n
The organization called on its members to go on strike to
\nattract the attention of relevant parties, but the solutions
\nreached in the negotiations following the strike have not been
\nproperly implemented.<\/p>\n
It was agreed that the number of ojek in Buton would be
\nlimited to 200, but in reality there are close to 2,000 ojek
\ncurrently operating in Buton.<\/p>\n
\"OK, let as many ojek as possible operate, but they must
\noperate only in certain areas. They must not intrude on the
\nofficial angkot routes. Otherwise, angkot in Buton will
\neventually be put out of business,\" said Asraruddin.<\/p>\n
Both Buton district head H. Saidoe and the head of the Buton
\ntraffic and transportation office, H. Faudu, realize the negative
\nimpacts of the flourishing ojek industry, but they admit that the
\ncorrect solution has not yet been found.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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