Compared to the bicycle, the becak (cycle rickshaw) began to dominate the streets of the Indies much later. These bicycle taxis – where the passengers sit in a kind of compartment – were probably not introduced until the 1930s. The difference with a ‘rickshaw’ is that passengers do not sit in the back, but are usually seated in front of the driver. In the Sumatran becaks they sit next to the driver, as on a motorbike with sidecar. Bicycle taxis are still common in many Indonesian cities. Going for a becak ride is a tourist attraction these days as well, even though the becaks are now often motorised.
Wim and Theá Maronier sitting ready to be taken from Hair Salon Maronier in Makassar, Celebes by an anonymous becak driver, 1939. [KITLV 41786]