Rp 3 billion allocated to remove 'becak'

Rp 3 billion allocated to remove 'becak'

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration introduced on Friday a
new approach in its ambitious campaign to establish a becak
(pedicab)-free Jakarta.

Head of the city's public order office Hadi Utomo said the
city administration would allocate funds of between Rp 2 billion
(US$285,715) and Rp 3 billion to clear becak from the streets.

"The money will be used to buy the becak from their owners,"
Hadi said after meeting Deputy Governor for administrative
affairs Abdul Kahfi to discuss the pedicab-free zone.

"Each becak will be bought at between Rp 200,000 and Rp
250,000, according to their physical condition."

Governor Sutiyoso announced on Thursday a 100-day public order
program, which included the removal of all becak from the city.

In May, Sutiyoso upheld a 1988 bylaw that prohibited becak
from operating in the city, saying at the time that Jakarta was a
pedicab-free area.

Sutiyoso permitted last year the presence of pedicab drivers
in the city due to the prolonged economic crisis.

Since then the number of pedicabs has increased significantly.
Sutiyoso then revoked the statement, ordering city public order
officials to conduct raids against pedicab drivers.

Hadi said the pedicabs might be dumped in the waters of Pulau
Seribu marine resort to create artificial reefs. The move would
be similar to a campaign conducted in the early 1990s when the
city launched a becak-free campaign. At the time, the city
administration also dumped the pedicabs.

The official said pedicab drivers and owners would soon be
required to register their pedicabs at the city's five
mayoralties. "Appointed officials at the five mayoralties will
estimate the price of their pedicabs."

Asked whether the administration could offer higher prices for
the pedicabs, Hadi said the city administration would only pay a
maximum price of Rp 250,000 per pedicab.

He said that in addition to offering to buy the pedicabs, the
drivers would also be given tickets to return to their hometowns
in West and Central Java.

The public order office would begin conducting raids against
becak drivers after the 100-day public order program ended, he
said.

"We'll conduct becak raids if the drivers and owners refuse to
sell them to us," he said, without elaborating on the date for
the commencement of the raids.

At least 6,621 pedicabs are currently operating on the
capital's streets. Approximately 95 percent of the drivers are
non-Jakarta residents.

The owners may reject the administration's offer because many
of them say they bought their pedicabs for between Rp 400,000 and
Rp 500,000.

Sutiyoso's decisive move to restore public order in the city,
including becak clearance, has won the support of President
Abdurrahman Wahid.

Abdurrahman said last week that the ban on becak operating in
the city was a measure to eradicate poverty.

The City Council also supported on Wednesday the
administration's plan to uphold Bylaw No 11/1988 on Public Order,
which bans becak from operating on the streets. (jun)