Yogyakarta 'becak' getting a modern makeover

By Tarko Sudiarno

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Becak (three-wheeled pedicabs) may be pushed off the streets of Jakarta and other cities, but in Yogyakarta they get a lot of respect. They even have their own traffic lane.

During Jogja Heritage Week 2001, held at Yogyakarta Palace in early August, this traditional transport was included among the local heirlooms. Protection of the becak has been in place in the city since the late Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX was governor of the Special District of Yogyakarta. He informed city officials that the pedicab and andong (horse-drawn buggies) must not be taken off the streets because they were symbols of the common people.

They may be a rarity in other cities, disappearing with the advent of more modern means of transportation and laws declaring them a cause of traffic congestion, but in Yogyakarta this multifunctional, nonpulluting method of transportation is flourishing. An activist with the Yogyakarta Becak Association (PPBY), Brotoseno, was quoted in the July edition of Andong, the association's publication for both forms of transporation, as saying that the more than 12,000 becak in Yogyakarta were the economic lifeline for more than 12,000 people.

The pedicabs are found almost everywhere, from major boulevards to small lanes. They are a popular tourist attraction, but they are also a vital mode of transportation for Yogyakartans, because they can take passengers into narrow alleyways and also carry up to 250 kilograms of goods.

The city's recognition of pedicabs is shown by the fact that there is a special lane reserved for them and the buggies along Jl. Malioboro. However, much of the lane has been taken over by street vendors and is also used by motorcyles.

Now, the city is trying to ensure the survival of the pedicab by helping them adjust to changing demands.

The Tourism Research and Development Center at Gajah Mada University, through its transportation study unit, has taken the initiative to produce a new pedicab model in line with tourism developments in Yogyakarta.

Andong reported that the initiative was an effort to make the operation of the vehicles smoother, more efficient and more competitive with other modes of transportation. The new pedicab model is also meant to promote tourism in Yogyakarta, and the effort was undertaken in cooperation with The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy in New York and the Institute for Strategic Development Initiatives in Jakarta.

Research led to the development of six prototype models for the vehicle, consisting of four becak and two rickshaws. The changes are not radical, consisting only of modifications to the design of the vehicle and to the gears of the back wheel.

In the first prototype, the body of the becak is longer, it uses gears on the back wheel, the passenger section is open without a top cover, the front wheel has a smaller diameter, it is not equipped with a spring and the front wheel axle is placed behind the revolving axle.

The design of the second prototype is similar to the first, the difference being that the front wheel has a larger diameter.

The design of the third prototype looks much like today's becak, that is with a top cover over the passenger section. The improvement here is the front wheel axle is placed in front of the revolving axle, it uses more than one leaf-like spring, has a one milimeter galvanized plate for its passenger section and uses multilevel gears on the back wheel.

The fourth prototype, not much different in its design from the third, has the front wheel axle behind the revolving axle.

The rickshaw prototype is also close to the rickshaw design in India. Still "foreign" to Yogyakartans, the first rickshaw prototype has a longer body and has three gears: the front, middle and rear gears. The middle gear uses multilevel gears. The passenger section faces to the front and is somewhat small, but has a top cover and underneath the passenger seat there is space for baggage.

The second rickshaw prototype has a shorter body, its wide passenger section faces to the back and has no top cover.

Starting in October 2001, all six models will be put through a one-year test on the streets of the city. Through this test, it is expected that becak drivers will be able to determine which design is most acceptable to the public.

This effort is expected to be accepted not only by the becak drivers, but also by the general public, especially those who use becak as a means of transportation. The public reaction to the new models will likely have indirect juridical implications, that is changes in local administration regulations and laws so the public space for becak operation will be free but manageable. This, of course, has something to do with the continuing image among many people of becak drivers as rude, daring and not law- abiding.

Samino, 35, a becak driver from Bantul, who watched the unveiling of the new becak designs during heritage week, commented: "Wouldn't it be better just to make slight changes to the existing becak so that it wouldn't involve major costs. Getting rid of the old becak and making new ones, I'd call that a waste. Why not just change certain parts, like improving the gears, for instance? That would be more economical and affordable for us."