Indonesia has the most unique cultures that preserved in so many years, including transportation access. Even though modernization comes through the country, some regions still using their traditional transportation as public transport that useful for Indonesian daily life.
Those traditional public transportations in Indonesia commonly become the icon of the city which forbid to destroy. Not surprisingly, one of them has become the most magnetic for tourism visit in some regions.
This time we will bring you into the most popular and unique of traditional public transportation in Indonesia. See some of them below!
1. Bemo
Bemo becomes one of the most popular traditional public transportation in Indonesia that you can find in Jakarta as one of the most expensive living expense cities in Indonesia. It has a louder sound of the machine that makes you excited to ride it. Besides, it is capable to take up to five people at once inside of it.
Bemo is one of the most popular public transportation around the 90’s era. It is using solar gasoline which becomes rare from time to time which makes the Bemo’s driver also becomes rare nowadays.
2. Angkot
Angkot becomes one of the most popular traditional public transportation that you can find in most Indonesian regions. On most of the occasion, Angkot is so popular with its bad habits that stop wherever and whenever they want. That makes you will get a long time for waiting in the Angkot and get a longer time to reach your destination.
In some regions, Angkot becomes extinct and some of the regions still keep it as public transportation. But, commonly they got some struggles with the local government which they think Angkot causing the traffic jam.
3. Becak
Becak is one of the most popular traditional public transportation that you can find in Yogyakarta, Solo, or other Javanese regions as one of the cheapest cost of living cities in Indonesia. It used to becomes the most transportation that you should take to wherever you want to go in around the ’90s. The unique of it is because the driver should ride it like a cycle.
As time goes by, Becak becomes extinct and replace with a new model with a machine inside. But, the existence of Becak still couldn’t be replaced at all in some regions such as in Yogyakarta.
4. Maluku’s Bentor
Maluku’s Bentor is one of the most popular traditional public transportation that you can find in Maluku. It is similar to the Becak but has the machine inside using the motorcycle’s machine. The front body is using the Becak, but the back body is using the motorcycle.
Maluku’s Bentor nowadays becomes so unique since every driver puts some music on there. That makes your trip using Bentor will full of Karaoke live which you can sing along with it until you reach your destination.
5. Medan’s Bentor
Medan’s Bentor becomes one of the most popular traditional public transportation that you can find in Medan, North Sumatra as one of the metropolitan cities in Indonesia. It has a similar look to the Bentor in Maluku but comes with a few different models.
Medan’s Bentor still has the operational traffic for tourism visits. Commonly you can find it in around the popular tourism spot. But local Medannese also still using it to take them wherever they want.
If in Maluku Bentor using the motorcycle behind the cart body, in Medan the motorcycle is right on the side of the cart to take the customer in. It capable to make the customer and driver has a great conversation while directing their destination.
6. Andong
Andong becomes one of the traditional public transportation that you can find in Yogyakarta and Solo. It comes with two horses who take your ride so that it can be run properly.
In Yogyakarta, you can find Andong in around Malioboro area as the most popular place to visit. From there, you can take the Andong to some tourist destinations such as the Yogyakarta’s palace, Tamansari park, Yogyakarta’s square, and some crafts centers.
7. Bendi
Bendi is one of the most popular traditional transportation that you can find in Padang, West Sumatra which popular with the city that has an Indonesian intangible cultural heritage. It is similar to the Andong in Yogyakarta but has only one horse to run the Bendi. It is capable to take up to four people at once which is makes your trip in the group is perfect to choose this traditional transportation.
Bendi becomes so popular in the latest ’90s as the main transportation whether to take you to the market, school, or other public spaces. Nowadays, you still can ride it to go around the city in Padang to enjoy some of their cultures there.
8. Cidomo
Cidomo becomes one of the most popular traditional transportation that you can find in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. It is similar to the Andong in Yogyakarta and Bendi in Padang but has a smaller size. Both the cart and the wheels are so small but capable to take about four people.
Cidomo also using the small horse but has a faster movement than you thought. You can ride it while going around the Lombok to reach some closest area from one to another destination of tourism places.
So, there are some of the traditional public transportation in Indonesia that you should know. Most of them become rarest of the existences because the modernity, but you can still find them in around some of the popular tourism visits as one of the facts of Indonesian traditional transportation.
So, have you ever try one of that traditional public transportation?
