'Kancil' starts invasion of city streets

Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

It has been a week since kancil, 4-wheeled mini-taxis, hit the streets of Jakarta, but their presence is very limited because only 26 are in operation thus far.

The locally made vehicles were produced in a bid to phase out the Indian-made bajaj (three-wheeled motorized taxis) which are notorious for their shrill engines and thick, black smoke.

Is taking a ride in a kancil more comfortable than a bajaj, one may ask.

Two popular jokes on bajaj need to be remembered: The brakes of a bajaj are on the driver's shoulder, meaning you have to tap him there to make him stop, and only God and the driver know when it will turn. Neither of these jokes will apply to the kancil.

A kancil passenger can comfortably sit in the front seat and buckle up for safety. The safety belts can help a passenger to cope with the bumpy ride, although it is less bumpy than a bajaj.

The back seat of the kancil can accommodate up to three medium-sized passengers, although it is not recommended for safety reasons. It is also equipped with a mini fan for the passengers' comfort.

Despite such conveniences in comparison to the bajaj, the kancil cannot match the agility of its Indian cousin.

A bajaj driver can easily cope with some very tight angles, especially for quick u-turns, but a kancil driver must make several forward-and-reverse movements to make the turn.

With a speed of less than 60 kilometers per hour, kancil is not allowed to use the toll roads.

However, some people worry that a kancil ride will be more expensive than a bajaj ride, but that has been denied by the head of the Jakarta's Bajaj Drivers Cooperative (Kosobja), Mariyun, who says, "Customers can haggle with drivers just as they always have with bajaj drivers."

He claimed that their new mini-taxis had received a warm welcome from Jakartans. "Drivers are upbeat about them and we anticipate that it will continue to have a warm reception from the public," he said.

Mariyun said the cooperative had decided that a kancil driver must pay for the rental fee of Rp 96,500 (US$10.72) per day.

"From that amount, some Rp 53,500 will go toward the purchasing loan on the kancil. We expect within four years, a driver will completely own the Rp 43.9 million vehicle," he said. "By the end of December, we expect 200 units to be operating."

Mariyun said bajaj drivers, who plan to switch to the kancil, must obtain a special driver's license.

The Kancil will also have a variety of colors on its body, but the roof will be orange. The body of the vehicle is offered for companies to put their advertising there.