Old-school becak (rickshaws) were made illegal in Jakarta in 2007, but their revival was one of the promises made by Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan during his 2017 campaign. While legal issues surrounding the return of the human-powered vehicle continue to be debated by the local government and City Council, the becak may make a comeback in the form of a relatively waste-efficient vehicle, which is ironic considering the name given to it.
As reported by Okezone, Universitas Indonesia (UI), in cooperation with the Jakarta Becak Association (Sebaja), recently introduced a solar-powered electric becak that is meant to be used as part of a new online becak ride-hailing service. They have decided to call it “Becak Online Cepat dan Irit” (Fast and Efficient Online Becak), which, thanks to Indonesians’ love for random and oftentimes silly abbreviations, has been shortened to “Be’ol Cepirit”.
Anyone with knowledge of bowel movement-related Indonesian colloquialisms will immediately understand the problem with that because Be’ol Cepirit literally translates to “Shit Shart”.
News reports on the new becak design don’t explain why it’s makers would choose to give their creation such a crappy moniker, but we’re guessing it’s because they thought the public would find it somehow funny or endearing.
At any rate, three Be’ol Cepirits are currently reportedly on trial in the city, with the plan being that 60 of them will operate in the city’s tourist hot spots in the near future.
The bikes’ solar panels power a motor that helps to move the back wheel, making them less strenuous on drivers, but their pedal power is still required as well.
Innovative though they may be, Be’ol Cepirits may never be fully let loose on the capital as opposition factions in the City Council are still strongly opposing Anies’ plan to revoke the becak ban in the city. The opposition is urging Anies to instead find alternative employment for former becak drivers if their welfare is of his utmost concern.
If Be’ol Cepirit is made official, would you count on it as a public transportation option or do you think it would just leave a figurative stain on the city’s streets?
