The Commission C of the Yogyakarta Regional House of Representatives\n(DPRD) has highlighted that the presence of portals in the Malioboro\narea of Yogyakarta is causing significant difficulties for elderly\ncitizens. They are demanding that this issue be evaluated and\nimmediately addressed with practical execution.<\/p>\n
The Vice Chairman of Commission C, Amir Syarifudin, stated that an\nevaluation is essential given Yogyakarta\u2019s commitment to being a\nchild-friendly and elderly-friendly city. He noted that incidents have\nalready occurred where elderly individuals struggled to navigate the\nportals.<\/p>\n
\u201cRegardless, as a child-friendly and elderly-friendly city, if such\nincidents occur, there must be an evaluation,\u201d Amir said on Tuesday\n(1\/9\/2026).<\/p>\n
He believes that evaluation must be followed by concrete steps,\nespecially as the Malioboro area is a public space that will become\nincreasingly crowded during the upcoming holiday season. \u201cThere needs to\nbe execution. After all, this is a public area,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Amir emphasised that studying the problem is not enough. He urged the\nYogyakarta City Government to find immediate solutions to prevent\nsimilar incidents from recurring. \u201cIt is not just about studying it, but\nexecuting it. The study has been done, but there were elderly victims.\nWe need to find alternative routes or implement a system where the\nportals can be opened and closed; there should be a gate,\u201d he\nexplained.<\/p>\n
One proposed option is to station officers at the location to assist\nwith access management. Amir hopes that the Maliober area remains a safe\nand comfortable public space for all members of the community.<\/p>\n
Previously, a video went viral on social media showing an elderly\nwoman in a wheelchair struggling to pass through a green and yellow\nportal on a side street in Malioboro. Despite the portal being\nrelatively low, the woman was seen exerting great effort to crawl\nunderneath, assisted by family members and nearby residents.<\/p>\n
The Regional Secretary of the Yogyakarta Special Region (Pemda DIY),\nNi Made Dwipanti, stated that the incident is being used as a basis for\nevaluation. She noted that the portal design needs to better consider\naccess for those using mobility aids.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it happens in the field that people with disabilities or\npedestrians find it difficult to use that path, this will become a task\nfor the officers on duty to manage,\u201d Made told reporters. She admitted\nthat the current design does not fully account for the needs of\npedestrians using mobility aids, such as wheelchairs, which require\ndifferent spatial considerations.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Yogyakarta Department of Transportation (Dishub DIY)\nplans to station officers to assist in opening the portals for\npedestrians. The Head of Dishub DIY, Chrestina Erni Widyastuti, stated\nthat the use of the portals in Malioboro is still in a trial phase.\n\u201cThis is a trial. This is our first time operating all of this; we are\nseeing what issues arise in the field,\u201d she said in a written\nstatement.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dprd-urges-immediate-action-on-malioboro-portals-causing-hardship-for-the-elderly-1788267220", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }