Kancil to replace 'bajaj' soon

Jakartans will see the gradual replacement of the three- wheeled motorized vehicle bajaj with kancil starting early next year as its producer PT Kancil will begin producing the four- wheeled vehicle in November.

"We'll start producing kancil in early November and hopefully next year it will be seen on Jakarta roads," Kresna Didjaya, the marketing director of PT Kurnia Abadi Niaga Citra Indah Lestari (Kancil) told the press during a test drive of the vehicle in Tangerang on Monday.

He said, however, that not all kancil would be used for public transportation as most of them would be sold for private use.

According to him, his company will produce some 500 kancil this year and between 6,000 to 8,000 or about 500 per month next year at the price of about Rp 30 million.

There are about 20,000 bajaj operating in Greater Jakarta, but only 13,500 are registered with the city administration and the police. The remaining ones are unlicensed.

Dadan Irawan, chairman of the Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) said that the government had approved the replacement plan.

Bajaj owners and drivers stated that they had no objection to the replacement plan.

"Our only complaint is that the kancil is too expensive for us to buy. They should help us to purchase them," Husein, a bajaj driver, told The Jakarta Post during the test drive.

He said the price of a bajaj was between Rp 15 million and Rp 20 million, depending on its condition. --JP