No Wonder The Jakarta Bike Friendly Award Was Revoked, PKS: It's Not Payable

Illustration of bicycle lanes in DKI Jakarta (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Secretary of the PKS Faction of the DKI Jakarta DPRD admitted that he was not surprised by the decision of the Bike to Work (B2W) Indonesia which revoked the Jakarta award as a bicycle-friendly city at the provincial level throughout Indonesia.

This is because Taufik views that the Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono no longer prioritizes the safety and comfort of bicycle users on roads in Jakarta.

"I understand that very well. Because the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government is no longer paying attention to the bicycle lanes," Taufik told reporters, Friday, November 10.

Unlike the era of Anies Baswedan during his tenure as Governor of DKI, according to Taufik, currently the maintenance of bicycle lanes is not carried out seriously and there are no more additions to bicycle lanes.

"The cyclists and their communities in Jakarta are very disappointed with this. The biggest one is B2W. The provincial government should evaluate and introspect," said Taufik.

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 the Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono.

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.