City mulls possibility of bicycle lane

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Responding to calls from the public, the Jakarta Environmental Management Agency (BPLHD) will carry out a feasibility study to create bicycle lanes in the capital.

"The study is necessary to know if we need to revise gubernatorial decrees regulating streets," the agency head Kosasih Wirahadikusumah told a press conference at City Hall on Friday in preparation for the Car-Free Day event on Sunday.

Bicycles and non-motorized vehicles are an urban transportation option, he said, since they are environmentally friendly.

"The need for bicycle lanes must be taken into account in the city's macro transportation system. Bicycles could be an alternative for the busway feeders, for instance," he added.

Kosasih said that instead of taking the feeder system, passengers could use bicycles to travel short distance to the busway corridors or between busway stops.

Bylaw No. 12/2003 on city transportation stipulates that the administration can provide a special lane for bicycles aside from special lanes for the busway and motorcycles.

Bicycles are not very popular in Jakarta. Many residents prefer to use motorcycles to save time and avoid traffic jams.

BPLHD reported that there were only 25 days in 2003 categorized as having "good air quality".

The city's air quality slightly improved after it dropped significantly from 108 days in 2000 to only 75 in 2001 and 21 in 2002.

Seventy percent of pollution in the city is a result of vehicular emissions, while the remaining 30 percent is from industries.

There are almost five million motorized vehicles registered in Jakarta, including private cars, motorcycles and public transportation.

Environmentalist Ahmad "Puput" Safrudin said the more people minimized using their cars and motorcycles, the more air pollution would improve significantly.

"I discovered that there had been a significant decrease of 30 percent in the level of pollutants after I compared the air quality one week before the event to a week after," he said.

In observance of the UN-endorsed World Car-Free Day, environmental organizations grouped in the Clean Emission Partnership -- which is supported by the administration -- will restrict private vehicles from traveling on Jl. Sudirman and Jl. Thamrin from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m on Sunday.

Another environmentalist Andi Rahmah pointed to Bogota as an example. She said the implementation of the annual car-free day led to the TransMilenio buses, the original model for Jakarta's busway and the bicycle lanes.

Bogota's first car-free day was held on a working day on Feb. 24, in which the entire urban area was open for the exclusive use of pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users. Public pressure ensured that over 800,000 cars were left at home.

After the event, environmentally friendly modes of transport were encouraged and 300 kilometers of lane space set aside for cyclists.

"Jakarta is a thousand steps away from Bogota. But, by holding the Car-Free Day, we are at least taking our first step," she said.