Respecting pedestrians

The rapid proliferation of motor vehicles in the ever- enlarging and teeming megalopolis that is Jakarta has created serious problems for pedestrians.

It is obvious that the pedestrians' rights have been denied by fellow residents and administration officials.

The sidewalks constructed for pedestrians have been used for everything it seems except for walking. Motorcycles can usually be seen speeding along sidewalks, and heedless drivers park their cars on them.

Street vendors' overbearing stalls on the sidewalks are also a common sight in the capital. Even overhead crossings are packed with vendors selling their wares.

But what has the Jakarta administration done to put things in order? Nothing concrete, just a recent series of public service announcements on TV about respecting pedestrians.

Raids against the roadside vendors illegally occupying sidewalks have been carried out now and then. Yet, plans of the raids have usually been leaked by local authorities -- presumably for money -- and so their effectiveness is diluted. Worse, many roadside vendors have complained about illegal fees imposed by local authorities.

It seems that there is no special law protecting pedestrians. Given this, no pedestrian has reported to the authorities about the denial of their rights as sidewalks become vehicle repair stations, welding service stations or furniture shops.

Most people would probably say that pedestrians should have a right to take legal steps. Pedestrians just cannot walk without fear for their safety, especially when strolling across the crosswalks. Motorcyclists grow wilder on the streets with each passing day and seem to enjoy running traffic lights, ignoring their own safety and others'. Public bus drivers are no exception.

Those, who have visited Yogyakarta with its historical Malioboro thoroughfare, Bandung's well-known Jl. Braga or the famous Jl. Tunjungan in Surabaya, would be surprised upon arriving in Jakarta, which has no such lovely walkways. Strolling in the Kemang area, which used to be dominated by foreign expatriates with relatively well-ordered streets and walkways, is no longer enjoyable as the streets have become overcrowded with the increasing number of vehicles and encroaching buildings.

It is not even clear if the regulation introduced in the 1980s on the provision of sidewalks is still recognized. According to the regulation, a road must be constructed with a sidewalk. The width depended on the number of pedestrians passing the area per day. The more pedestrians, the wider the sidewalks were supposed to be.

When planning a road project, the designers draw it up in detail, including the sidewalks. However, the sidewalks are not intended to be part of an integrated city transportation system. Sidewalks must be made available for all pedestrians, including those who need access to catch buses or other means of city transportation.

Worse, the sidewalks have been converted into businesses. It is not debatable that the pedestrians' rights have been violated by fellow residents and the administration officials, who should instead be working to find ways to create better conditions for all citizens.

Now that the parks have gradually disappeared and walkways are no longer a pleasure to use, people now tend to go stroll around supermarkets, plazas or malls. Governor Sutiyoso has pledged to have more plazas and malls constructed in the future. This has evoked concerns among planners who are not part of the bureaucracy.

Some of them say that the absence of sufficient sidewalks for pedestrians means a lack of respect for citizens who want to, or have to, walk around town. Such a phenomenon has come about because the decision-makers lack a "sense of humanity" when making plans to develop the city.

After decades of ignoring the issue, the administration seems to have become aware of its mistakes. And efforts to mend its image started with the widening of the sidewalk along Jl. MH Thamrin. The ongoing project is meant to both beautify the thoroughfare, which is known as the "capital's face" as well as to improve conditions for pedestrians.

But, one thing the administration must be aware of is that enforcing traffic regulations is the key.

Widening the sidewalk along Jl. MH Thamrin and promotional bits on TV without more comprehensive action to clear other sidewalks and enforce laws to protect pedestrians, will be of no use unless there is improved respect for pedestrians among the general public.