The Ministry Of Energy And Mineral Resources Launches A Listric Becak Karya Anak Bangsa In History Today, January 18, 2019

JAKARTA Memories of today, six years ago, January 18, 2019, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Ignasius Jonan launched an electric rickshaw at Gadjah Mada University. The launch was carried out to replace the wooden rickshaw being considered inhumane.

Previously, the trend of using rickshaws was decreasing everywhere. In Yogyakarta itself, rickshaws are no longer the prima donna transportation. The rickshaw loses to other transportation. Not to mention the government's action of raiding rickshaws on certain roads.

The rickshaw was once a mainstay of public transportation in big cities. This condition is because rickshaws can go through roads that cannot be taken by transportation such as buses or public transportation. The rickshaw can go in and out of the village cleverly. The price is affordable too.

Recently, the presence of rickshaws has begun to be considered disturbing public order. The DKI Jakarta government first banned rickshaw drivers from passing through the protocol road in 1970. The ban was due to rickshaws deemed disturbing Jakarta's image as Metrolitan City.

Not to mention the business of rickshaws that often violate public order. The rickshaw often manages and breaks the road arbitrarily. This condition disturbed other motorists and threatened their lives. Recently, rickshaw users were completely banned from the capital city.

Whoever is caught, the rickshaw will be confiscated. However, that view did not occur in Yogyakarta. The presence of rickshaws is like a tourism attraction in Yogyakarta. Problems arise. The presence of many alternative transportation that is cheaper and more humane makes pedicab users less.

As a result, many rickshaw drivers have started to swerve to other professions. The rickshaws they used to use daily to earn sustenance went on sale. This condition is evidenced by data released by the Yogyakarta City Transportation Service.

They note that the number of rickshaw drivers continues to decrease every year. The rickshaw, which in 2014 reached 5,500 rickshaws, has undergone significant changes in 2018 which only reached 3,325 rickshaws.

"It is estimated that the number of pedicab pedals is only around 60 percent left compared to four years ago. So far, there have indeed been many motorcycle rickshaws originating from outside the city of Yogyakarta. However, it is possible to reduce it because the owners sell the rickshaws they have," said the Head of the Transportation Section of the Yogyakarta City Transportation Service, M. Zandaru Budi as quoted by the ANTARA page, August 5, 2018.

The problem with pedicab pedal users is even sad. Sometimes the energy used is not proportional to the income generated. The rickshaw driver could not meet his life needs.

The problem reached the vicinity of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Ignasius Jonan. The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources also tried to answer the challenges of the times by launching the latest innovations by electric rickshaws as a result of the collaboration between UGM and PT. PLN in UGM on January 18, 2019.

The presence of electric rickshaws is considered by Jonan to solve many problems at once. Pollution is gone. Pedicab drivers no longer have to use a lot of power to pedal rickshaws. Jonan also promised to immediately issue the latest regulations so that electric rickshaws made by the nation's children can pave the way.

"The important thing is that it operates the rickshaw. There are still rickshaws like this. It's inhumane. This is so that pollution can be suppressed, indeed the electricity produced is part of the coal plant, but will not exceed the combine engine, vehicle engine."

"I recommend that after the manufacture of electric rickshaws, they are continued by collaborating with our industry so that they can be produced more. I am sure that the Governor of Yogyakarta or other Governors will make regulations so that these electric rickshaws run, because they can be used for tourism and will not remove existing jobs. So this electricity rickshaw is not only more human and also about the environment," said Jonan as quoted by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources website, January 18, 2019.