Sutiyoso befuddled by 'bajaj, Kancils

Sutiyoso befuddled by 'bajaj, Kancils

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Local-made Kancil (four-wheeled motorized vehicles) and Indian-
made bajaj (three-wheeled vehicles) are competing for their place
on Jakarta's streets, while Governor Sutiyoso struggles to make
up his mind on the issue.

"This problem really confuses me. Kancil producers told me
that the majority of bajaj drivers supported the program but now
the drivers are protesting Kancil," Sutiyoso told reporters at
the City Hall on Thursday.

Sutiyoso, however, expressed his hope that the relevant
parties could meet to resolve the problem and added that the city
administration was ready to facilitate the meeting.

"I decided on Kancil because they (Kancil producers) said that
the income of bajaj drivers would be better," Sutiyoso said.

On July 31, Sutiyoso met with Kresna Didjaya of PT. Kancil
Automotive Marketing Industries who claimed that the majority of
14,000 bajaj drivers were ready to shift to Kancil.

To convince Sutiyoso, Kresna brought dozens of bajaj drivers
along to the meeting.

After the meeting, Sutiyoso said he could accept the operation
of Kancil in the city on the proviso that for every Kancil in
operation one bajaj must be destroyed.

"My target is to terminate bajaj when Kancil are launched,"
Sutiyoso pledged.

But, on Wednesday some 300 bajaj drivers demonstrated in front
of the City Council building on Jl. Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta
to reject the plans to replace their vehicles with Kancil.

They said that their income of up to Rp 60,000 (US$7) a day
would drop if they shifted to Kancils since they would have to
rent Kancils for Rp 50,000 a day.

They also said the price of Kancil at Rp 34 million was too
expensive if compared with bajaj at Rp 15 million.