'Bajaj drivers to suffer the most'

Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

"When kancil is released, common people like me will suffer the most," said Sukim, 35, a Bajaj (three-wheeled motorized vehicle) driver in Rawamangun, East Jakarta on Sunday.

Sukim, who has been driving Bajaj for nine years, is worried because word on the street has it that every five Bajaj must be exchanged with one Indonesian-made Kancil.

Naturally, he fears he will lose his livelihood.

Currently, there are at least 14,000 Bajaj operating across the city. That means some 11,200 drivers could become jobless.

The city administration has proposed that every Bajaj be traded in for around Rp 5 million as a down payment for one Kancil, which manufacturer PT Kancil Automotive Marketing Industries sells at Rp 34 million.

"I guess Bajaj owners would be reluctant to support the replacement program, since the current market price of Bajaj is around Rp 20 million," said another Bajaj driver, Gatam.

The daily rental for a Kancil is proposed to be between Rp 60,000 and Rp 70,000 per day, while a Bajaj's rental fee is only Rp 40,000 per day.

Gatam is certain that driving a Kancil would reduce his earnings.

The Kancil manufacturer had earlier proposed that bajaj drivers pay a daily rental fee of Rp 50,000.

Maintenance of a Bajaj is easier because its body is made of steel, while a Kancil is made of fiberglass, he argued. Consequently, if a Kancil's body was damage, say in a collision, the driver must replace the whole body of the vehicle, he said

Moreover, since Bajaj had been operating in the capital since the mid-1970s, its spare parts are easy to find, he said.

Despite objections from Bajaj drivers, Governor Sutiyoso announced on Friday the city administration would issue permits for 400 Kancil this week.

Bajaj was first produced by Bajaj Auto Ltd India, and was introduced in the country in 1975 during the administration of Governor Ali Sadikin, who sought an alternative to the motorized, rickshaw-like helicak.