Children Cycling to School, Bike2School Community Highlights Tangsel Infrastructure Shortcomings

The presence of the Bike2School community in the Serpong Lagoon area, Setu, Tangerang Selatan (Tangsel), not only encourages children to cycle to school but also highlights the scarcity of cyclist-friendly facilities in urban areas.

Bike2School Serpong Lagoon leader, Dimas Gilang Pamungkas (37), assesses that city development in Indonesia, including in Tangerang Selatan, remains oriented towards motor vehicles. As a result, space for cyclists and pedestrians has not become a priority.

“In my view, the majority of cities in Indonesia are built not for people but more inclined towards being car-centric,” Dimas said when met by Kompas.com in Serpong Lagoon, Setu.

“Before motorcycles, people were still willing to walk. People wanted to cycle. Now with vehicles around, why even for short distances to the front do they use motorcycles,” he explained.

Dimas considers the limitations of infrastructure as one of the main causes of the low interest in society to cycle as daily transport. He cites the condition of pavements that are not yet adequate and the uneven distribution of bike lanes in various areas.

According to him, this situation differs from several other countries in Southeast Asia that are starting to seriously build cyclist- and pedestrian-friendly facilities.

“In countries like Singapore and Malaysia, it’s already somewhat better, more friendly in terms. But in Indonesia, no need to talk about remote areas, even in Bodetabek, how is it? Is it already that friendly?” he said.

Through the Bike2School movement, Dimas seeks to educate children in the surrounding community that bicycles can still be used as a daily transport tool.

He hopes similar movements can develop in other areas while serving as an impetus for the government to introduce policies and infrastructure that are more supportive of cyclists.

“This is a nudge for the government, why? Why can it work here (Serpong Lagoon)? Because the environment is kept safe for cyclists,” he stated.