Becak
Becak were banned within the Jakarta city
limits in the mid-90s due to their propensity to cause traffic jams. Former
President Soeharto (and others) also wanted to eradicate becakfrom the
city streets because they felt the work to be degrading to the drivers. For
years, becak were missed by people who live in housing complexes off
the main roads and small roads which are not serviced by bus routes. Their
sheer numbers in the city prior to the crackdown attests to how widely they
were used. It used to be a common site in major cities throughout Indonesia to
see becakdrivers taking children to school each morning, and women home
from thepasar (traditional market).
However, you may still be able to find an
occasional becak driver ignoring the ban in distant suburbs of
metropolitan areas and smaller towns. Outside city limits becak are
still found at the junctions of main roads and smaller country lanes that don't
have smaller bus routes. Models of becakare different in each city they
are found in across Indonesia.
Becak fit two passengers comfortably and
possibly even more, depending on the size of the passenger. There is some
protection from the sun with the canopy over your head and a plastic sheet that
comes down over the front helps protect passengers during rainstorms. Bargain
before you get in and don't expect the driver to have change for large bills.
Bajaj
Bright orange and noisy ... easily describes the
traditional bajaj. These traditional transportation vehicles became popular in
India where they were developed with Vespa and later imported to and built in
Indonesia. Similar vehicles are known as rickshaw in Africa, Tuk-Tuk in
Thailand and MotoTaxi in Peru. At one time there were an estimated
20,000 bajajin Jakarta, evidence of their popularity!
Bajaj seat two passengers comfortably and up to
five passengers - depending on the size of the passenger of course. Their areas
of operation are limited to one mayoralty in the city. On the side of the
driver's doors you'll see a big circle in which the area is designated Jakarta
Barat, Jakarta Pusat, etc., with a different color for each mayoralty. The
drivers are not allowed to go out of their area and aren't allowed onto many
main roads, so routes may be a bit circuitous.
Fare determination is by bargaining. It's always
best to ask an Indonesian what they would pay for a trip to a particular
destination from your point of departure, and then bargain and pay accordingly.
A ride in a bajaj is hot, utilizing
"AC alam" - nature's air conditioning. The ride will also be noisy,
smelly (car and bus fumes), bumpy, harrowing, and a grand adventure. My
favorite maneuver is when the bajaj driverdecides to flip a u-turn in the
middle of the road.
There is some protection from the rain, unless it's
blowing hard. You'd think you'd have to be careful about robbery since the
vehicle is so open - but it's not as common as pickpocketing in public buses.
The government has been pushing the replacement of
the classic orangebajaj for years - with kancil - a 4-wheel
transportation, the blue gas-powered baja BBG (below) and the latest innovation
- the electric bajaj, nicknamed batik from the batik
listrikplay on words.
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