Yogyakarta 'becak' getting a modern makeover

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."