Kijang taxis to serve the city

JAKARTA: City administration had floated an idea to launch a new taxi service using Kijang minivans, which can carry at least six passengers.

The administration claimed Kijang taxis, the first batch of 50 of which will soon be traversing the city, provide better security because the front seats and passenger cabin will be partitioned off, preventing robbery.

The passengers will sit in two rows face to face, similar to the cheaper version, the angkot (public minivan).

Many transportation analysts say the major problem of public transportation is the poor service and that not many buses are roadworthy. They also say that most city commuters prefer affordable buses and angkot to taxis. -- JP