Madiun Distributes 200 Electric Rickshaws to Boost Tourism

RRI.CO.ID, Madiun – The Madiun City Administration in East Java, in collaboration with the National Solidarity Movement (GSN) Foundation, officially handed over 200 electric pedicabs to local drivers at the Pahlawan Business Center (PBC) in Madiun on Sunday, February 8, 2026.

Beneficiaries expressed profound gratitude for the new vehicles. Among them was 84-year-old Rasimin, who expressed hope that the electric units will improve his daily earnings. 

"When I pedal manually, the results are small. I hope that with these electric rickshaws, more tourists will be interested in taking a ride," said Rasimin.

Nanik S. Deyang, Deputy Chairperson of the GSN Foundation, remarked that the aid is a personal gesture of concern from the Indonesia President, Prabowo Subianto, specifically for elderly rickshaw drivers still in the workforce. She explained that this initial phase of 200 units is part of a larger, gradual rollout. 

"We are starting with 200 units and will fulfill the rest in stages. Perhaps after Lebaran, once the production of 70,000 units is complete, we will distribute them all. Moreover, Madiun Acting Mayor plans to utilize these rickshaws to support local tourism, which has seen rapid growth lately, particularly in religious tourism," remarked Nanik.

During the event, Nanik also advised recipients against selling the free units. "Please do not sell them, as this is a gift and a form of assistance from the President," she added.

The Acting Mayor of Madiun, F. Bagus Panuntun, affirmed that the local administration is ready to integrate the electric rickshaw program into the city's tourism development. He expressed belief that these vehicles have significant potential to support the "village tourism" and "religious tourism" initiatives currently being promoted. 

"We are currently focusing on religious tourism. These rickshaws allow us to reach urban villages that are inaccessible to tour buses. We intend to reposition these as 'tourism rickshaws,'" explained Bagus.

Furthermore, Bagus mentioned that the city administration would soon coordinate the placement and designated stations for the new units. In addition to organizing rickshaw stands, the administration plans to provide supporting infrastructure in the form of specialized charging stations. 

"Just as electric cars have SPKLU (General Electric Vehicle Charging Stations), we will prepare a dedicated version for electric rickshaws. We will coordinate further with Ms. Nanik and the GSN Foundation regarding this," concluded Bagus. (Annaila Azzahra/Bambang MBKA)