JAKARTA (Kyodo) The tinkling of a bicycle bell may attract little attention in most parts of the world but in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, it could be your taxi ride.

In the overcrowded metropolis of about 10 million people, this old-style, two-wheeled form of public transport has survived despite decades of opposition from authorities.

Locally called ojek sepeda, the bicycle taxi is officially forbidden along with its "older sister," the three-wheeled pedicab. City transportation regulations permit only vehicles with four wheels or more for public transport on roads.