Aircraftmaker offers to replace the 'bajaj'

Aircraftmaker offers to replace the 'bajaj'

By Kafil Yamin

BANDUNG (JP): First came the controversial Timor "national"
car, which boasted self-reliant technology but was imported from
South Korea. It was doomed to bankruptcy.

Then came the abortive Maleo car project, which was previously
expected to be the genuine homemade vehicle.

Coming soon is Kancil, literally meaning "deer", which is
designed to meet public demand for more affordable, flexible and
tougher vehicles.

With a height of 1.2 meters, width of 1.2 m and length 2.8 m,
Kancil is a mini vehicle with capacity for four people, including
the driver. It is projected to replace the popular bajaj (three-
wheeled motorized vehicle) in Jakarta.

Adding to Kancil's credit is its manufacturer, not an
automotive company, but the national aircraft manufacturer,
Indonesian Aerospace (IAe), recently renamed from IPTN.

"We are now producing vehicles, but with the quality standard
of aircraft," said an employee who works at the quality control
division.

The mini car will use a Subaru engine, imported from Japan,
according to Soleh Affandi of IAe's public relations department.

Kancil, which stands for Kendaraan Angkutan Niaga Cilik Irit
Lincah (mini, energetic, economical commercial vehicle), is
slated to hit the market early next year with technical
specifications of 14.5 maximum horsepower output, a 4-speed
gearbox and speeds up to 100-km per hour. The fuselage is made
from composite fiber which makes it much lighter and corrosion-
proof.

The creation is the result of cooperation between IAe and PT
Kancil, which will initially produce 5,000 units next year. IAe
has now finished three prototypes of Kancil.

According to PT Kancil, which also produces the Winner and
Mallika Puch Hero motorcycles, the composite body and low-powered
engine will be a competitive advantage for this vehicle.

"The composite body will make repairs on damaged part of the
body much easier, while the engine design meets the international
standard of safe products. In short, Kancil will become an
affordable, safe and ecofriendly vehicle," said Setia W.
Abednego, director of PT Kancil.

Abednego claimed that some neighboring countries were
interested in this vehicle, making it a new potential foreign
exchange earner.

When Kancil begins to hit the market, or so the scenario goes,
bajaj will leave the capital and migrate to regional cities.
Negotiations have been underway between PT Kancil and the city
administrations, governors and mayors over the replacement of the
bajaj.

This has, however, sparked public criticism.

"What we need is mass transport that is capable of carrying
thousands of people. Mass transport should be comfortable and
affordable," said Kusbiantoro, a public transport expert. "Only
this means of transport can partially solve the problem of
traffic congestion".

"Producing huge numbers of mini vehicles will even worsen the
traffic," he added.

If things go smoothly, the cooperation will extend to Kancil
cars, with a 1,000 cc engine. Critics say this plan will worsen
traffic congestion in the future.

Also, transporting bajaj from Jakarta to regional cities will
just mean transporting noise and air pollution from the capital
to healthier places.

But things should be fixed before the business really starts.
The first thing is IAe's capability of producing 5,000 units in
one year.

"Frankly speaking, we are incapable (of a one-year
arrangement)," said Affandi. "I think it can be done in five
years or so."

The other thing is the projected price per unit. A production
manager at IAe said that with the set price ranging from Rp 15
million to Rp 30 million, the project was not viable. "Composite
material is more costly than metal. It is more so when you take
manpower into account," he said.

The most plausible arrangement for IAe is to focus on tooling,
and to mainly use body molds. Still, this project remains
unprofitable for IAe. So why is the company willing to go ahead
with the project?

"The company has no choice," said a Kancil employee. "If the
company has no any projects, then we have no work. Most of the
projects are not profitable because they are not the company's
core business, which is aircraft," he said.

Most of IAe's projects now are not aircraft-based. Still, the
company remains in need of its skilled workers just to keep it
running. IAe is negotiating with the Community Aid Institution of
Bandung's Institute of Technology to produce fishing boats.

"We lack projects. Practically, we have no work to do now,"
said an employee who asked for anonymity.

He said he often went to the office just to read newspapers,
which he shared with his work mates. "After that, we will discuss
political issues. We feel like we are politicians!"

Some workers with more creativity make exciting personal
products, like car accessories, for themselves just to kill time.

Sources at IAe said that non-aircraft projects made up about
70 percent of the current workload, and that the 30 percent
making up aircraft projects was mostly undervalued.

Being spoiled with state funds for decades, the aircraft
manufacturer now has to live on its own. Things were quiet in the
vast workplace when The Jakarta Post passed through recently.
Huge machines stood idle with only few visible workers.

The company is set to layoff, for the third time, some 5,000
employees soon as part of a restructuring drive.