'Bajaj' to have total make over

JAKARTA: An object of resentment as it often seen as a source of sound and air pollution in the capital, the three- wheeled diesel-fueled bajaj will soon be modernized.

An official of Jakarta's Association of Public Transportation Owners (Organda DKI), Jauhari Perangin-angin, said on Tuesday that 3,000 bajaj belonging to 100 individuals would be modified.

"Organda will appoint a referral auto repair shop, but the owners still have to pay for the modification," he said, declining to reveal the total cost of the repair work for each vehicle.

The new bajaj, he said, would use more environmentally friendly gasoline and be able to accommodate three passengers and 20 kilograms of luggage, plus a bigger motor capacity to enable it to travel at 70 kilometers per hour, faster than the current around 40 km per hour. -- JP