Cycling can save time, money<\/p>\n
Urip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Once three office workers held a race to see who could reach home
\nfirst using different kinds of vehicles.<\/p>\n
The first, who worked on Jl. Gatot Subroto, drove a car. The
\nsecond, whose office is in Kuningan business district, took
\npublic transportation, switching between an ojek (motorcycle
\ntaxi) and trains. The third, rode a bicycle from his office near
\nthe Pancoran overpass.<\/p>\n
The distance from their offices in South Jakarta to their
\nhousing complex in Ciledug, Tangerang, is approximately the same
\n-- some 25 kilometers -- and they all started at 5 p.m.<\/p>\n
The result, however, was not unlike that of the fable of the
\nhare and the tortoise.<\/p>\n
\"I was already home by 6:15 p.m.,\" said Taufik, the cyclist.
\nHis neighbors, who had taken vehicles that were in theory
\nspeedier, arrived more than an hour later.<\/p>\n
Taufik, organizer of the Bike to Work event and member of the
\nJalur Pipa Gas mountain bike club, said the result was not
\nsurprising. The city's worsening traffic congestion due to the
\noveruse of motorized vehicles has worsened air pollution.<\/p>\n
\"It takes around 10 minutes during rush hours on Jl. Sudirman
\nfor a driver to inch his car forward a few meters, or for a
\npassenger to wait for a bus to arrive,\" he said citing a real-
\nlife example.<\/p>\n
\"But a cyclist can travel seven kilometers in the same time
\nfrom Dukuh Atas railway station to Ratu Plaza shopping mall.\"<\/p>\n
And if time equals money, then cycling to work will certainly
\ncut costs.<\/p>\n
\"Although the time saved by cycling is similar to using a
\nmotorcycle, it's completely the opposite when speaking about
\nmaintenance costs,\" Taufik said.<\/p>\n
He said he now only had to take his motorcycle to the garage
\nfor an oil change once in two months since he began cycling to
\nwork three times a week.<\/p>\n
\"Previously I had to take my motorcycle to the garage once a
\nmonth. Maintaining a bicycle is far cheaper,\" he said, pointing
\nto bigger fuel spending for car owners when their vehicles are
\ntrapped in traffic jams.<\/p>\n
What is more important, Taufik said, was that being a cyclist
\nmeant he helped minimize air pollution in the capital.<\/p>\n
Data from the Jakarta Environmental Management Agency (BPLHD)
\nshows that 70 percent of the city's air pollution comes from the
\nvehicle emissions. The city had only 25 days of \"good air
\nquality\" last year.<\/p>\n
These arguments were used by the Bike to Work organization to
\ndemand that the city administration provide bicycle lanes in
\ncity's streets.<\/p>\n
Taufik, however, admitted that practice was necessary to get
\nused to cycling to work.<\/p>\n
\"People should start by cycling on weekends, then move on to
\ncycling to work once a week, to gradually adjust themselves,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The bicycle one uses is not the main factor in cycling.
\nAlthough a Rp 60 million (US$6,593) bike with a light-weight
\nframe and state-of-the-art suspension system is a dream to ride,
\na Rp 250,000 bicycle is more than enough.<\/p>\n
\"It is more important to know the proper techniques to make
\nour cycling more efficient, as well as to ensure our health and
\nsafety,\" he said.<\/p>",
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