City told to learn from fiasco of pedicab abolition
City told to learn from fiasco of pedicab abolition
JAKARTA (JP): The Association of Land Transportation Owners
(Organda) has assured all registered bemo drivers that
they will be eligible to trade in their vehicles and purchase
minivans through time payments, an official of the association
said.
A bemo is a motorized three-wheeled transportation vehicle.
Hutagalung, one of the association's division heads, told
reporters yesterday that Governor Surjadi Soedirdja had agreed to
the plan to arrange for each driver of registered bemo to have a
new minivan.
Hutagalung did not mention the process a bemo driver would
have to go through to obtain a minivan.
He said that the provision of minivans through bank loans was
under negotiation. He added that minivan dealers would appraise
and buy the bemo, allowing the drivers to put a down payment on
new minivans.
On Wednesday, City Councilor Machmud Chaniago told the
administration to be extra careful in phasing out the bemo.
"Bemo should only be phased out when the administration is
ready," said Machmud of the Commission B for economic affairs.
The provision of minivans for bemo owners must be well
prepared, he added.
"Bemo owners should get new minivans as soon as their bemo are
handed over to the authorities. Delayed process could endanger
the livelihood of both owners and drivers," he said.
There are around 1,800 bemo in Jakarta, including 750 which
lack permits.
Chaniago also said the administration must not promise bemo
drivers too much, as it did with becak drivers some years ago.
"When becak were phased out (in 1990) the administration
promised that the drivers would be trained as drivers of
motorized vehicles," said Machmud from the Indonesian Democratic
Party faction.
"But only a few becak drivers were trained due to poor
arrangements. People living in housing complexes have been
waiting for another means of transportation since becak were
officially banned," he said.
Motorcycle taxis (ojek) stepped into the vacuum left by the
absence of becak. "But ojek is not part of the public
transportation system officially acknowledged in the city," he
added.
The city transportation system does not recognize three-
wheeled and two-wheeled public transportation vehicles.
Due to the public's needs, the bemo and the smaller capacity
three-wheeled bajaj have been tolerated.
The seven-seat bemo has been operating in the city since
1962.
Earlier this year Governor Surjadi instructed that the three-
wheeled bemo should be replaced by compact four-wheeled vehicles
to save space on small roads.
Organda earlier suggested that bemo owners should be given Rp
500,000 for their vehicles.
"Such low compensation is inhumane," said Hasan Dasy, another
Commission B city councilor.
Hasan said the administration should take into account the
current market price of bemo which can reach Rp 9 million.
(yns/anr)