Stuck in Jakarta traffic? Hop on a limobike

JAKARTA (Reuters Life!) - It's a fast and fashionable way for Jakartans to beat the city's chronic gridlock: a limousine on two wheels.

Starting next month, harried commuters in the Indonesian capital will be able to hop on to a sleek Piaggio scooter equipped with GPS systems and wireless communication to weave their way through the city's perpetually congested roads.

Motorcycle taxis, known locally as "ojeks", are a popular way of getting around this city of 14 million, but most ojeks are just battered old bikes with filthy, shared helmets that often leave passengers with itchy heads.

Many Jakartans consider taking a ride on an ojek a suicidal mission as some drivers are unlicensed, lack basic driving skills and don't think twice about breaking traffic laws.

And that's where Ningrat, or royal, Limobikes comes in.

Their fleet of bright yellow Piaggio scooters comes equipped with devices to give directions, professional drivers who speak English, high quality helmets, hair caps, protective jackets -- and even a special sheet to protect the modesty of women passengers wearing short skirts.

"Let me get this clear, this is not an ojek, this is a limousine on two wheels. Our service is aimed at middle to upper class Jakartans," Mahesa Arba, business development manager of Ningrat Limobike told Reuters.

"We considered other brands when we set up this business but in the end we choose Piaggio simply because of its style," he said. "We want to stand out from the crowd."

Ningrat Limobike will begin operations next month with 30 scooters in Jakarta and is aiming for at least 60 by the end of the year, he said.

The price of a 10-km (6-mile) ride in a Piaggio scooter? Just 35,000 rupiah ($4), or 5,000 rupiah more than an ordinary ojek.

And best of all, no more bad hair days.

(Reporting by Harry Suhartono, editing by Sugita Katyal and Miral Fahmy)