•    HOME   
•    NEWS   
•    BUSINESS   
•    INTERNATIONAL   
•    TECH   
•    SPORTS   
•    LIFE & TIMES   
•    OPINION   
•    MY JAKARTA   
•    BLOGS   
•    EYEWITNESS   

Love them or hate them, for decades motorized rickshaws, or bajajs, have been an inescapable part of city life, particularly for those residing in the capital.

The odd shape of the three-wheeler and its bright red color have even inspired comedy shows and acts and made appearances in full-length feature films and television programs since the 1970s, when they were first introduced.

Produced by India-based company Bajaj Auto, bajajs were initially brought in as the city tried to outlaw non-motorized rickshaws, known as becak.

Designed to serve heavily congested housing areas, the bajaj is not without its critics. The small size and lone front wheel make it easy to navigate through tight alleyways, but many loathe its unmistakable loud noise and the pollution it spews.

Now, the Jakarta government has been trying to change their image by making them more environmentally friendly, introducing a natural gas-powered model that is quieter and more comfortable.

To distinguish the new model from the old, it even paints them light blue.

Not all bajaj drivers are converts, though.

“The red bajaj’s rent is Rp 35,000 to 40,000 ($3.90 to $4.50) per day, while the blue bajaj’s is Rp 120,000. That’s too much for us,” said Karsono, a red bajaj driver who normally operates in Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta.

According to the Jakarta Transportation Agency, there are 11,669 red bajajs officially registered with the city. The number of blue bajajs stands at 2,755.

The city intends to convert all red bajajs to the new model by refusing to extend red permits. Many drivers, however, are simply continuing to operate their old bajajs without permits.

“You have to provide at least Rp 80 million for a trade-in. Maybe big bajaj owners can afford it, but what about individual owners?” said Udin, 37, who has operated a red bajaj since he was 18.

Udin said that while an old bajaj only cost Rp 18 million to Rp 20 million, the new model sold for Rp 100 million to Rp 115 million.

Agency chief Udar Pristono blames that on Jakarta’s tax office, which classifies all natural gas-powered vehicles as “luxury goods” subject to a 45 percent tax. “Two years ago, we wrote [the tax office] a letter asking that the tax rate be lowered,” Udar said. “Hopefully it can go down to as low as 25 percent.”

There is also a limited number of gas-filling stations in Jakarta, restricting the blue bajaj’s operational areas greatly.

But as the phasing out of the older vehicles proceeds, Jakarta is trying to restrict red bajajs with a number of policies.

Earlier this week, officials from the Jakarta Transportation Agency impounded 34 unlicensed gasoline-powered bajajs.

Udar said it was hard to keep track of the number of unlicensed bajajs operating in Jakarta. “We suspect that there are 30,000 bajajs in Jakarta,” he said.

But Udin said even those who operated red bajajs with proper documentation still faced discrimination from authorities, like in renewing driver’s licenses.

Police used to require a special license for bajaj drivers, but recently they require drivers to obtain a type A license, the same one issued to car drivers. The problem, Udin said, is that not all bajaj drivers know how to drive a car.

“We want the special bajaj license to be in place again,” he said, adding that most red bajaj drivers had chosen to operate their vehicles without a driver’s license.

Udin said another strange policy was the ban on bajajs operating in more than one district, which is rarely enforced for blue bajajs. “I operate in Kampung Melayu, which is in East Jakarta, but if I take that U-turn over there, that is already South Jakarta.”

There is discrimination from commuters as well.

On Jalan Kebon Kacang, bajajs of both colors dominate the sidewalks.

But 48-year-old Mahmudin, who takes a bajaj to work, only chooses the natural gas-powered bajajs. “Obviously the blue bajajs are much more comfortable,” he said. “It is not noisy and the drivers are nicer.”

Riana, 40, said she no longer took old-school bajajs because their operators “drive recklessly.” “When I tried the [blue] bajajs, they drive more safely and they’re nicer, too,” she said.

Adam, a blue bajaj driver, admitted that he paid his boss three times as much as he used to when he was driving red bajajs.

But as more and more customers choose the newer version, he said paying rent was no loner as problematic as before.

“As long as we work hard, money will come,” he said.