The bright orange nuisance known as the bajaj is undoubtedly the cockroach of the automotive world and an aspect of Jakarta many residents love to hate. These motorized three-wheeled boxes are noisy, belch thick black fumes from their rear ends, veer wildly in their movements and somehow always seem to be in the way. They officially seat two passengers, but have been known to hold a family of four plus three overstuffed shopping bags, one restless goat and two decidedly nervous chickens. Small windows on either side allow for a bit of air to enter, a system hardy city folks fondly refer to as AC alam, or 'natural air-conditioning'. But on a stifling hot day bajaj feel like saunas inside, on a rainy day like a steam room. A no-frills, mobile spa! An estimated 20,000 or so zip along Jakarta's side roads and back streets. They get people where they want to go, and are cheap to operate.

The bajaj is the curious brainchild of Bajaj Auto Ltd India, and was introduced in Indonesia in 1975 at the behest of then-Jakarta Governor Ali Sadikin, who sought an alternative to the motorized, rickshaw-like Helicak. The buzzing bajaj pests were first imported by Indonesian-Chinese businessman Eddy Tansil, who in 1994 was implicated in one of Indonesia's biggest-ever banking scandals. Two years later, Eddy waltzed out of prison after bribing a warden to 'drive him to the doctor', fled to China, and is now the proud owner of a major brewery in Fujian Province. Yeah, Eddy!

A spray-painted circular symbol on the bajaj's door indicates the designated district within the city where the vehicle is allowed to operate, each region marked in a different color. Drivers must stick to their area and are prohibited from using many main roads, so bajaj routes can be quite circuitous.

A few years ago, the government announced that fume-emitting bajaj would gradually be phased out and replaced by a more sophisticated four-wheeled, natural gas-powered Kancil ('mouse deer'). Bajaj owner unions have also resisted the move, preferring the older low-cost, low-maintenance vehicles, given that drivers pull in only Rp 30-40,000 (around $3 to $4) on a good day. Sporadic attempts by the government to ban bajaj, dating back to 1980, cause major fluctuations in the vehicle's market price. The normal value of a good bajaj is around $1,500, but when a ban is rumored, it can drop to as little as $700. About 1,000 roadside repair shops in Jakarta magically revive broken bajaj that have long exceeded official shelf life. Through the improvised use of spare parts, like Vespa sparkplugs and retreaded wheels, even the most mangled bajaj can normally be fixed in about three hours.

By : Daniel Ziv