More alternatives to 'bajaj'

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Besides kancil, the city administration is currently preparing four types of four-wheeled vehicles, as options to replace the three-wheeled bajaj.

The four vehicles are the locally manufactured kelinci and satria, the Chinese made sandi and a new model of bajaj, jointly produced by Thailand and India.

The City Transportation Agency's passenger car division head Abdul Hakim said on Wednesday the four vehicles had been nominated as alternatives to kancil as it was still being rejected by bajaj owners.

"The preparation of the vehicles aims to negate the suspicion that we have given a monopoly to kancil producers," Hakim said as quoted by beritajakarta.com.

He said the administration would allow bajaj owners to decide whether kancil or the other four vehicles should replace their vehicles.

He reiterated that the administration would continue with its plans to replace the Indian made bajaj, which are deemed to be an environmental hazard.

Hakim said a team of experts from University of Indonesia, Bandung Institute of Technology and Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University were studying the suitability of the four vehicles.

He revealed the prices of all the vehicles were lower than the price of kancil which cost Rp 34 million (US$4,000) a unit.

Bajaj owners rejected the offer from kancil producers to buy bajaj at Rp 5 million each, (a reduction on the market price of Rp 20 million each).

In the draft bylaw on transportation which is currently being discussed at the council, three-wheeled vehicles are not designated as public transportation vehicles in the city.