Jogja 'Mobbed' by Cyclists During JLFR, City Government Steps In

The Yogyakarta City Government (Pemkot Jogja) has begun restricting the Jogja Last Friday Ride (JLFR), a cycling event held every Friday night in the fourth week of the month, from passing through the Malioboro area. Cyclists are also being asked not to overrun public spaces during the JLFR. This measure was taken by the city government following the overwhelming number of cyclists participating in the JLFR. Mayor Hasto Wardoyo said he felt Yogyakarta was being mobbed by cyclists from various regions. “In a situation like this, we are indeed conditioning things. On Saturday nights or weekend nights, if we are mobbed by bicycles without rules and without coordination, it is very difficult. So, we end up closing certain routes at that time,” Mayor Hasto told reporters on Thursday (9/7/2026). He stressed that the city government is not banning cycling activities. However, the city government will regulate certain routes during the JLFR event. “Perhaps bicycles are prohibited at that specific time, on that Friday night. Friday night is an exception because bicycles entering Yogyakarta City are unexpected, unplanned, and unprogrammed, coming in full from all directions, which greatly disrupts traffic,” he explained. Hasto also hopes the activity can be better coordinated in the future, particularly to ensure that cyclists do not crowd the core zone or buffer zone of Yogyakarta City, which are centres of public activity. “I hope that even though this community has no formal structure, no chairman, no organisation, I believe there is actually a leader who can provide direction,” he said. “My hope is that, and I have conveyed it to the cycling community that, if I am not mistaken, on the fourth Friday, the last week of the month, we hope the cycling will be well-coordinated and not overrun crowded public spaces like the core zone and buffer zone in Yogyakarta City,” he concluded. Previously, the Jogja Last Friday Ride (JLFR) responded to the route restrictions in the Malioboro area, stating they are ready to evaluate. In a statement received by detikJogja, JLFR highlighted the irony that congestion caused by the dominance of motor vehicles is considered normal, while citizen activities such as cycling and walking in public spaces are deemed a disturbance. “The irony today is not merely a debate about a cycling activity, but about how we view road space,” JLFR wrote in its statement through a representative who declined to be named, on Thursday (9/7/2026). JLFR asserted that from the beginning, the community was not formed to dominate the roads or hinder public activities. According to them, the Last Friday Ride aims to celebrate cycling culture while reminding everyone that roads are public spaces that should be enjoyed by all users fairly, safely, and with mutual respect. “We realise that every activity in public spaces must be conducted in an orderly manner, respecting the rules, and minimising the impact on the community. If there are shortcomings in its implementation, we are open to evaluation and improvement,” the statement read. Separately, the restriction of cyclists in Malioboro during the JLFR has already been implemented. The Head of the Traffic Unit of the Yogyakarta City Police, AKP Alvian Hidayat, said the roadblocks were put in place because they had difficulty establishing communication. “Basically, our activity of directing cyclists not to enter Malioboro has been going on for a long time, after the incident in edition 184 or 185. We took a temporary policy because we had tried to communicate with friends in the JLFR but received no answer, no response. Ultimately, we cannot impose a total ban,” Alvian said when contacted by detikJogja on Thursday (2/7/2026). “You cannot forbid people from cycling. We cannot totally ban people from cycling. So, we do not permit them to pass through the main Malioboro route,” he continued. So far, the police have restricted cyclists by setting up roadblocks. The cyclist roadblocks are conducted every Friday at the end of the month. “Our anticipatory measure is to deploy personnel at the main entrance in front of Hotel De Djokja and also in front of the Teteg Post at Loco Cafe. When there are cyclists, we direct them to go straight west, towards Pasar Kembang,” he said.