Aid Motorcycle Immediately Used, Teacher Mr Azis's Journey Now Shorter

JAKARTA – Abdul Azis (45), an honorary teacher who previously went viral for pedalling his bicycle to school, can now resume using a motorcycle after receiving aid. Wearing his usual grey jacket and a new black helmet, Azis now carries his eldest daughter, Azalea (11), to MI Nurul Islam 1 in Kamal Muara, Penjaringan, North Jakarta. The six-kilometre journey, which previously took about 25 minutes by bicycle, is now much shorter. In addition to being faster, Azis also feels an increase in comfort and safety during the trip. “Now that we have a vehicle, it’s definitely more comfortable. Before, when we cycled, we had to be extra careful, sticking to the edge, even riding on the pavement. Now, using the motorcycle is safer,” he said. Azis admitted feeling a bit awkward when first riding the motorcycle again after about six months of being accustomed to cycling. “Alhamdulillah, after almost six months without riding a motorcycle, it felt a bit awkward at first. When the motorcycle arrived, I immediately filled it with petrol and tried it out by buying a water gallon to get used to riding again,” he explained. “My child, alhamdulillah, was thrilled from the moment the motorcycle arrived. ‘Alhamdulillah, finally we don’t have to cycle anymore, we ride the motorcycle now’,” Azis added. Azis’s story began in November 2023, when his old motorcycle was stolen while parked in front of his home in Tegal Alur, Kalideres, West Jakarta. As an Islamic religion and arts teacher earning around Rp 2 million per month, he said he could not afford a new vehicle. Since then, Azis had to leave earlier and face road risks, including container truck traffic. When passing the incline towards the Kamal Muara flyover, he even had to push the bicycle because he couldn’t manage the uphill.