Accessibility for All, Becak Drivers in Jakarta Since 1988

The Becak (a manpowered tricycle taxi) was exported to major Indonesian cities via China from Yokohama in the 1930s. During the mid-20th century they spread throughout the major cities of Asia, and came to be used as a vehicle for daily use. However, since the 1970s, growing traffic congestion caused by an increase in the number of motorcycles and cars, has pushed the becak into the back streets of cities. In the case of Indonesia, government came to strictly prohibit them through the perception that they were a symbol of backwardness and they have gradually disappeared from the city. This culture of viewing becak as a symbol of backwardness has remained ingrained over the decades. In Jakarta, they were banned from use in lanes and back-alleys to finally disappear from public view through a brutal clearance method known as ‘becak hunting’ (crackdowns) in 1992. However, they re-emerged on Jakarta’s streets during the chaos after Suharto’s resignation in 1998. Governor Sutiyoso at the time banned them anew, yet democratic transformation through the rise of civil society did not tolerate subsequent crackdowns As of 2016, hundreds of becak vehicles now plow the streets of Jakarta, mainly concentrated in back-alley neighbourhoods. Based on primary data sources gathered over a 30-year period (1989, 1998, and 2011-2015), this paper examines socio-economic transformation and continuity and investigates the extent in which the changing political economy of Jakarta affects drivers’ accessibility. Furthermore, the paper forecasts the survival strategies of becak drivers under ungoing policy changes and the positions of previous and present Governors.