[sustran] Pedicab ("Becak") Appeal from Jakarta

[SUSTRAN Resource Centre]

Dear sustran-discussers

Below is an appeal from activists in Jakarta for letters of support for the
readmission of becak into Jakarta after almost 10 years of being banned. As
most of you probably know, becak (pronounced "beh-chak") are Indonesia's
version of the pedicab or three-wheel non-motorised taxi. There has already
been some mention of the issue on this list but here is a summary of recent
events.

In late June, activists from the Yayasan Lembaga Konsumen Indonesia  (YLKI)
  (Indonesian Consumers Organization) and the Lembaga Pengembangan
Inisiatif Strategis untuk Transformasi (LPIST) (Institute for the
Propagation of Strategic Initiatives for Transformation) met with the
Governor of Jakarta, Mr Sutiyoso, and negotiated with him on how to find
low-cost solutions to transportation problems in the context of the
economic crisis. The activists had just returned home from a gathering in
Manila of  SUSTRAN participants ("SUSTRAN General Assembly") and were
apparently full of enthusiasm after our meeting. 

GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES BECAK BAN LIFTED .... THEN BACKS DOWN
The discussions were very fruitful and as a result, the Governor
immediately announced that becak would be allowed back into Jakarta,
although only in special areas and only for the duration of the economic
crisis. The primary stated aim was to help provide employment and to solve
the problems of the poor.  Within days more than 1000 becak and their
operators had arrived from other parts of Java and had begun to operate in
Jakarta.

Unfortunately, the governor had forgotten that it would first be necessary
to revoke the Regional Act/Regulation on the Prohibition of Becak Operation
in the Jakarta Area (Perda no. 11/1988). Several members of Jakarta's city
council and lawyers therefore protested that the Governer was not
respecting the law and on 1 July he felt compelled to cancel his promise to
readmit becak into the city. However, this led to further uproar because
the readmission of the becak was very popular with many NGOs, students,
many among the general public and, of course, becak drivers themselves.
Furthermore, by then the number of becak in the city had already exceeded
2000. 

On 8 July several NGOs (including LPIST, YLKI, UPC - urban poor
consortium-, and YBP) protested at the city council along with members of
the public (especially housewives) and becak drivers. They called on the
councillors to revoke the ban on becak and to prepare another law that will
instead promote them.

OPINION POLL
The councillors asked the activists to provide more proof that the
community at large supports pedicabs in the city.  Therefore the activists
conducted an opinion poll on 16 - 17 July 1998. They got 1000 respondents
from a wide cross-section of society, consisting of 502 males and 498
females, ranging in age from 15 to more
than 65 years old, from all over the city, and from a very wide range of
educational achievments and occupations.  

The survey found that 860 of the 1000 respondents supported the readmission
of becak into Jakarta. The most popular reasons for their support were: 
 * Cheap/low cost (437 people or 51% of those who agree)
* Solve crisis problem (412 or 48%)
* Good for carrrying loads, high capacity for goods (337 people or 39%)
* Anti-pollution (292 people or 34%)
* Safe (30%)
* Not noisy (27%)

Of the 140 respondents who opposed the readmission of the becak into the
city, the most popular reasons were:
* Create congestion (75 people or 54% of those who oppose)
* Difficult to arrange (63 or 45%)
* Interestingly only 26 people said that the driving of becaks is demeaning
or not a humane thing. 

On 23 July 1998, the activists are conducting another demonstration in
support of the becak and their drivers. This time NGOs who are working on
environmental issues, including WALHI (Indonesian NGO on Environmental
Issue), will lead the demonstration

APPEAL FOR LETTERS OF SUPPORT
LPIST , YLKI and their colleagues are calling for letters of support for
their call for the Jakarta Government to allow pedicabs ("becak") to
operate in the city.

Please send your letters of support  to:

Mr Sutiyoso
The Governor of Jakarta
Jl. Merdeka Selatan 8 - 9
Jakarta Pusat
Phone: 62 - 21 - 3446051
Fax: 62 - 21 - 3446634

The Regional Parliament of Jakarta
Jl. Kebon Sirih 31
Jakarta Pusat
Phone: 62 - 21 - 3822851; 3822151
Fax: 62 - 21 - 3508701

This account of events was compiled from several emails from LPIST
activists in Jakarta.

Best wishes,

SUSTRAN Resource Centre
A0602 Palm Court, Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel. +60 3 274 2590,  E-mail: <sustran at po.jaring.my>
The SUSTRAN Resource Centre hosts the Secretariat of SUSTRAN 
(the Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific).