Delays For The Continuation Of Bicycle Line Development In 2023, Acting Governor Heru: I Don't Want Quantity, I Want Quality

Acting Governor of DKI Haru Budi Hartono (Photo: Public Relations of the DKI Provincial Government)

JAKARTA - Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono explained the reason why the DKI Provincial Government did not allocate the budget for the continuation of bicycle lane construction in 2023. Heru admitted that he was better off delaying to increase the construction of bicycle lanes in Jakata because he wanted to make sure the quality of the lines that had been built were functioning properly. Heru feels the need to explain this reason, given the emergence of criticism from a number of parties when he finds out that there is no budget for additional bicycle lanes next year. "I took a policy to freeze (stop construction) the bicycle lanes were noisy. Just freeze, just freeze. My goal is good, really. I don't want quantity. I want quality. That's roughly the case," Heru said in a meeting with international organizations partners in the City Forest area by Plataran, Central Jakarta, Friday, November 18. Heru realized that the government must make efforts to control emissions in Jakarta and reduce pollution levels. However, the challenges faced by the DKI Provincial Government are not easy. Because, in making a policy and budgeting it, the DKI Provincial Government must first discuss the policy plan with the DKI DPRD and ask for input from other institutions so that the results of the policy can be more optimal. "A trivial policy, if I don't manage communication, becomes something unnecessary, our energy comes out," said Heru. For information, the DKI Jakarta Transportation Agency initially proposed a budget of IDR 38 billion for the construction of bicycle lanes and IDR 1.9 billion for the evaluation of bicycle lanes in the General Policy on Budget and the Temporary Budget Ceiling Priority (KUA-PPAS) of the 2023 APBD. However, during the RAPBD discussion, the two budgets were zeroed. The dynamics of discussing the bicycle lane budget continued on Wednesday, November 16, along with criticisms coming from a number of bicycle and organizational communities. Finally, the DKI Transportation Agency again proposed a budget of IDR 7.5 billion in the DKI RAPBD, but not to continue the construction of bicycle lanes. In detail, the DKI Transportation Agency proposed a budget of IDR 2 billion to conduct an evaluation or study of the bicycle lanes that have been built. The DKI Transportation Agency also proposed a budget of IDR 500 million for the socialization of bicycle lanes in each administrative city, as well as IDR 5 billion for the optimization of existing bicycle lanes.