Anies Proposes A Bike Path On The Toll Road, The Sport Bike Association: Don't Be Weird!

Illustration (Photo: Angga Nugraha)

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairperson of the Indonesian Sport Bicycle Association (ISSI) Community, Toto Ame, disagrees with the proposal to provide a road bike path on the toll road that was thrown by DKI Governor Anies Baswedan.

"We strongly disagree with the provision of bicycle lanes on inner-city toll roads. Don't make strange policies," said Toto when contacted by VOI, Wednesday, August 26.

Toto is concerned about the safety supervision for cyclists if the bicycle lane is made on one lane and is only limited by traffic cones.

This is because motorized vehicles on toll roads often travel at high speeds. Moreover, car accidents on the freeway are still common.

If it is only limited by cones, it is tantamount to an attempt to mass murder bicycle users. If the car driver mistakes and is not aware of a bicycle lane, it is very risky to have an accident.

Deputy Chairperson of the Indonesian Sport Bike Association (ISSI) Community Sector Toto Ame

After all, said Toto, ISSI has never asked the DKI Pemprov to provide bicycle lanes on any toll road so that the community and bicycle racing activists can practice pedaling their bikes.

The trend of people cycling in the country is soaring. Especially when Covid-19. (Photo illustration by Angga Nugraha)

"I am sure, even though racing cyclists already know the safety rules, they also don't dare to cross the toll road. Unless, the toll road is completely closed. But, that's not possible," he said.

Actually, the bicycle racing community has already got access to bicycle training from the DKI Transportation Agency. Every three times a week, they are facilitated by bicycle paths on Jalan Sudirman-MH Thamrin.

"At 7 in the morning we finished using that route, before the traffic conditions were full of vehicles. Actually, that's enough, really," said Toto.

As is known, the Head of the DKI Jakarta Transportation Agency, Syafrin Liputo, said that DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan suggested that road bikes could enter the toll road on Sundays.

The proposed inner-city toll road sections, starting from the Kebon Nanas Toll Gate to the direction of Tanjung Priok, use one side of the road.

Syafrin said, the proposal to use one toll road section for racing bicycles would be submitted to the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono.

"The governor proposed to the Minister of PUPR to prepare a toll road as a temporary bicycle lane for sports bikes on Sundays from 6 to 9 WIB," said Syafrin.

However, the suggested bicycles that can be used to enter toll roads are only racing bikes that have a travel speed of up to about 50 kilometers per hour. Meanwhile, other bicycles and pedestrians cannot enter the toll road.

"We understand, especially those in the roadbike community that they have their own technical specifications when cycling is high. If this is facilitated together with other residents, it will certainly affect the safety aspects of other bicycle users," said Syafrin.

To support the safety of racing cyclists who will enter the toll road, Syafrin said that the special bicycle lane will be limited to using a traffic cone. That way, other vehicles cannot enter this special bicycle road.

"Of course there will be traffic management and engineering control of the flow. So, the toll road on the west side from Kebon Nanas to Plumpang is closed, then the road bikers along the road will only drive in it, not out onto the arterial road," he said.