IKN Is Not Suitable For Those Who Like To Ride Cars, Jokowi: Pedestrians And Bicycles, Please Go To The New Capital City

President Jokowi cycles at the Bogor Palace (Photo: BPMI Setpres/Muchlis Jr)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said the concept of building the new National Capital (IKN) is very suitable for pedestrians and cyclists. But not suitable for residents who still like to ride cars.

"If you like to ride a car, let alone use fossil fuels, don't move to a new capital city. Because the big concept is a smart forest city," said Jokowi at the inauguration ceremony of the Nasdem Tower, Tuesday, February 22.

The President emphasized that 70 percent of the new capital area must be a green area. Then, 80 percent of transportation uses green energy, namely hydropower in North Kalimantan.

"80 percent of the existing mobility or mobility from one place to another is supported by 80 public transportation. So it's not a private car," said President Jokowi.

So, he continued, in the new capital city, moving from one point or area to another according to city planning will only take 10 minutes.

"So this is Ten Minutes City. And we will give priority to the first pedestrians, the orientation is there. The second is by bicycle, the third is public transportation," explained Jokowi.

He also warned that the development of the State Capital (IKN) to East Kalimantan is an effort to distribute infrastructure, economy and social justice, while still paying attention to reforestation in the area.

"Don't let there be an assumption that we are there to destroy the forest," continued Jokowi.

The soil condition in the capital city called Nusantara, in East Kalimantan, is hilly. Therefore, the design of the IKN development also adjusts to the existing hills and land surface, he said.

In addition, the waterfront area will also be created naturally, while maintaining the existing forest ecosystem. The government, he added, would also rehabilitate several damaged forest ecosystems.

"What we use is 256,000 hectares. Later, approximately 50,000 hectares will be used, the remaining 200,000 will be left as green forests. We will fix the bad ones, we will fix the bad ones, and what we build there is a nursery, a place for nurseries, tree nurseries, the production of which is approximately 20 million seeds a year," he said.

The President said, based on the report of the Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya Bakar, the construction of the nursery is now almost complete.

"This means that what we put forward is a city that is very environmentally friendly," he said.