Perceptions of modernity and their impact on the informal sector: case study of pedicab drivers in Jakarta

A review of the literature suggests that the Indonesian and, in particular, Jakarta municipal government's sought economic and social modernisation throughout most of the New Order regime. More importantly, these processes of modernisation had many negative effects on the city's poor and informal sector. In the context of, first, the economic difficulties imposed by the Asian crisis and, second, the change of government (with the recent incumbency of President Megawati, the so-called `People's President'), the question arises of whether the present government continues to seek modernisation at the expense of certain groups. This project investigates this question by examining, firstly, the Jakarta municipal government's perceptions of modernity and its ideals for the capital and, secondly, how the informal sector fits into these ideals. The project employs a case study of a particular law that exists today, namely Perda 11/88, which prohibits pedicabs from operating in Jakarta. The aims of the project are to understand whether this bylaw prioritises modernity and, if so, whether it does so at the expense of pedicab drivers. The research finds that modernisation remains a very real ideal of the Jakarta municipal government, which claims it to be a means to improving quality of life for Jakarta residents. Yet the term `Jakarta residents' is reserved for a select minority. The poor and, in particular, those engaged in informal activities are considered `second class' citizens. These findings provide an imperative for the Jakarta municipal government to reassess its priorities, including its perceptions of development and the informal sector