City OKs new 'bajaj' to replace old ones

City OKs new 'bajaj' to replace old ones

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Before the proposal to replace the Indian-made bajaj (motorized
pedicab) with locally made kancil is given the go-ahead, the city
transportation agency has agreed to introduce the more-
environmentally friendly blue bajaj.

The decision, however, was made amid mixed public reaction
over the city administration's plan to launch another new
transportation service using Toyota Kijang vans.

"The new bajaj will be less polluting. In principal, we OK the
vehicle," agency head Rustam Effendy said on Tuesday at City
Hall.

The 175cc bajaj has a four-stroke engine, consumes less fuel,
and produces less noise and smoke compared to the existing ones,
which use a two-stroke engine. The new bajaj can run on two fuel
variants: petrol or a combination of gas and petrol.

Rustam did not say whether the blue bajaj were intended as
replacements for the some 14,000 orange ones, which have operated
in the city since 1975.

He said the agency would require the bajaj producer to provide
gas stations for the new bajaj.

However, councillor Tjuk Sudono from the City Council
Commission D on development affairs, questioned the legality of
the implementation of the new bajaj.

"(This) must refer to the existing bylaw. Otherwise, it will
be illegal," he said.

Bylaw No. 12/2003 on city transportation does not carry a
clause on bajaj. The bylaw only refers to passenger cars as a
means of public transportation. It defines passenger cars as
vehicles with more than eight seats for passengers.

"The bajaj are not regulated in the bylaw. Consequently, the
new ones can replace the old bajaj, but more units should not be
allowed to operate," Tjuk said.

A staff member of PT Abdi Raharja -- the blue bajaj producer
-- said last Thursday that the new vehicles would only be
assembled in Indonesia, while both the engine and body would be
imported from India.

A petrol-run bajaj is tagged at Rp 27 million (US$3,214),
while a combined-fuel vehicle is offered at Rp 32 million.

Despite the sudden onset of blue bajaj into the equation, the
transportation agency has assured the public that kancil would
still be introduced.

Bajaj were produced by Bajaj Auto Ltd. of India and were
introduced during Ali Sadikin's tenure as governor.

Separately, city spokesman Muhayat said that Governor Sutiyoso
has not made a decision on the plan to operate Kijang taxis.

"Pak Sutiyoso is still seeking input (from the transportation
agency)," he said.

Rustam said earlier that the agency had been studying the
possibility of operating Kijang taxis, which can accommodate more
than five passengers, compared to sedan taxis, which can only
accommodate four passengers.

He claimed that backpackers and other tourists had complained
that sedan taxis lacked space to accommodate their bags in the
trunk.

Rustam said that the roomy Kijang taxis would be helpful in
transporting people from railway stations and bus terminals and
also for people who were carrying shopping home from the mall.