Respecting pedestrians

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.