'Bajaj' owners thumb nose at Kancil

JAKARTA: Dozens of bajaj (three-wheeled taxi) owners protested the Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) at its office in Tebet, South Jakarta, rejecting the plan to retire their Indian-made vehicles.

"It's an unrealistic policy. There are currently 15,000 bajaj in the city. How can the administration replace all the vehicles," Hizar Gultom, one of the owners, said on Friday.

The owners' protest came immediately after Governor Sutiyoso unveiled his plan to replace bajaj with the four-wheeled, Indonesian-made Kancil.

Kancil producer PT Kancil Automotive Industries has offered to buy bajaj for Rp 5 million each, with the money to be used to make a down payment on a Kancil, which costs Rp 34 million. The owners must also pay Rp 50,000 a day in installment to pay off the vehicle, the same price as renting bajaj.

Hizar said the drivers rejected the Rp 5 million (US$588) offer for their bajaj, because the market price for a new one is Rp 20 million.

PT Kancil said that it had only produced 100 Kancil so far to replace the 14,000-strong bajaj fleet throughout the capital. -- Antara