Bicycle Path Polemic In Jakarta, Heru Budi Will Be Sued To Court

Acting Governor Of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi (DKI Public Relations)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Bike to Work (B2W) cyclist community plans to sue the Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono and the DKI Jakarta Transportation Service to the State Administrative Court (PTUN).

The plan for this lawsuit was taken by B2W following the polemic of bicycle lanes in Jakarta. The DKI Provincial Government, in Heru's leadership, is considered not to provide guarantees for the safety of bicycle users.

"What we will sue the Department of Transportation and the Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta. This lawsuit is about treating the governance of Jakarta City in an effort to ensure the safety of cyclists," said Chairman of B2W Indonesia, Fahmi Saimima to reporters, Friday, November 10.

Fahmi said that the plan was for the lawsuit to be filed by B2W in court on November 22, 2023, to coincide with the commemoration of National Land Transport Day.

"We are in the administrative stage because the lawsuit will be legally standing in the Administrative Court," said Fahmi.

The plan to sue Heru Budi follows the decision of the Indonesian Bike to Work (B2W) which revoked the Jakarta award as a bicycle-friendly city at the provincial level throughout Indonesia.

For information, the Jakarta bicycle-friendly city award was given by B2W to former DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan in 2021. The revocation of this award was carried out as an expression of disappointment with Heru Budi.

B2W gave the Jakarta bicycle-friendly city award in the Anies era because B2W considered that at that time Jakarta was the most massive city to build bicycle lanes.

However, for one year Heru Budi served as Acting Governor of DKI, B2W assessed that the DKI Provincial Government showed very contrary to the efforts made during Anies' leadership.

This, according to B2W, is reflected in the abolition of the budget for the addition of bicycle lanes in the 2023 APBD changes, then the demolition of the bicycle lane at Santa's red light, South Jakarta.

Then, it is also based on the dismantling of stick cones or bicycle lane barriers on 13 roads, as well as the budget for additional bicycle lanes which are not budgeted again in the 2024 APBD draft.

"We are of the view that it is not good - it will only be a joke that is not funny - to maintain the award, while the actual condition, at this time, is far from what is considered good when the award is awarded," wrote the B2W_Indonesia Instagram account, Tuesday, November 7.