Pedestrians Demand Audit of 30 Jakarta Pedestrian Bridges to Meet Ministry of Public Works Standards
The Pedestrian Coalition has requested that the Jakarta Provincial Government audit at least 30 pedestrian bridges (JPO) deemed to be failing technical specifications according to Ministry of Public Works (PU) standards, in order to guarantee user safety.
“We recommend that 30 JPOs, particularly those slated for demolition or revitalisation, be prioritised,” said Alfred Sitorus, Chairman of the Pedestrian Coalition, when contacted in Jakarta on Friday. Alfred detailed that these recommendations have been submitted since 2015–2016, based on data collected from approximately 200 pedestrian bridges across Jakarta. According to him, previous studies identified around 30 bridges that require urgent evaluation.
Alfred noted that evaluation does not always result in demolition. He suggested that the government could determine further steps through studies, deciding whether a bridge should be revitalised to meet Ministry of Public Works standards, rebuilt, or replaced with zebra crossings or pelican crossings depending on road characteristics. “They could be demolished, revitalised to meet Ministry of PU specifications, or replaced with zebra crossings, provided there is a prior study regarding vehicle volume, road width, and other factors,” he added.
Alfred believes an audit should be conducted on all pedestrian bridges in Jakarta to assess construction feasibility and accessibility for the public. He also urged the government to make the audit results public so that citizens are aware of the condition of each bridge. Furthermore, Alfred encouraged the government to implement traffic engineering if a bridge is replaced by a zebra or pelican crossing, including limiting vehicle speeds and installing warning signs regarding vehicle height near bridges to reduce accident risks.
Previously, the South Jakarta Transportation Agency stated that a pelican crossing replacing the pedestrian bridge on Jalan Kapten Tendean is now available for use. This measure was taken following an incident on Tuesday (14/7) where a truck carrying heavy equipment struck the pedestrian bridge on Jalan Kapten Tendean, Jakarta.