After Being Criticized, The DKI Provincial Government Has Entered A Bicycle Line Budget Of IDR 7.5 Billion But Not For Development

Illustration-Bicycle Line (DOK VOI-Diah Ayu)

JAKARTA - The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government has again proposed a budget for bicycle lanes of IDR 7.5 billion in the draft APBD for the 2023 fiscal year. This was revealed by Member of Commission B of the DKI Jakarta DPRD, Muhammad Taufik Zoelkifli. Taufik said that the entry of the bicycle lane budget was decided at the RAPBD sharpening meeting on Wednesday, November 16, after previously the budget was zeroed. "The budget at the commission meeting last night was put in again. At first, it was crossed out, yes. The last meeting of Commission B revised the budget for bicycle lanes, it was decided that the bicycle lanes received a budget of Rp. 7.5 billion," said Taufik when contacted, Thursday, November 17. Taufik admitted that the re-entry of the bicycle lane budget was decided by the DKI DPRD and the DKI Provincial Government after considering their needs. Including, considering criticism from the Bike to Work and LBH Jakarta communities when the bicycle lane budget is zeroed. "More or less the reason is because there are many criticisms. But, actually there are also dynamics before the knock on the hammer at the DKI DPRD Budget Board meeting. Actually, this (bicycle lane budget) can still be done. So, yesterday I suggested that there must be and one of them is pressure from the community as well," explained Taufik. Even though it was budgeted again, Taufik explained that a nominal value of IDR 7.5 billion was not used to increase the length of bicycle lanes in Jakarta. In detail, the budget of Rp. 2 billion is allocated to evaluate or study existing bicycle lanes, Rp. 500 million for the socialization of bicycle lanes in each administrative city, and Rp. 5 billion for the optimization of existing bicycle lanes. In an evaluation program with a budget of IDR 2 billion, the DKI Jakarta Transportation Agency will conduct a study on the conditions of using bicycle lanes on existing roads. Meanwhile, optimizing bicycle lanes with a budget of IDR 5 billion will be used for repairs to the transfer of bicycle lanes which are considered less than optimal. "Because it is undeniable that the bicycle lanes that were installed yesterday have many problems. That is, in terms of security, bicycle users or for other motorists are lacking, for example there is no barrier, or too halfway through the toll road lane, it must be repaired," he explained. For information, the DKI Jakarta Transportation Agency initially proposed a budget of IDR 38 billion for the construction of bicycle lanes in 2023 in the General Budget Policy (KUA) and the Temporary Budget Ceiling Priority (PPAS). This was done by referring to the DKI Regional Development Plan (RPD) 2023-2026 which targets the construction of bicycle lanes of up to 535.68 kilometers. Then, the DKI Provincial Government also proposed a budget of Rp1.9 billion in KUA-PPAS for the evaluation of bicycle lanes. However, in the discussion of the RAPBD, the two budgets were zeroed. The dynamics of discussing the bicycle lane budget continues on Wednesday, November 16. The decision of Commission B of the DKI DPRD resulted in the bicycle lane budget being included again of IDR 7.5 billion, not to continue the construction of bicycle lanes, but to evaluate, socialize, and optimize.