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Roads for communities, not commodities for Papua
The government has prioritized infrastructure development in Papua and West Papua provinces, particularly to improve road connectivity.
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Traditional houses in Baliem Valley, Wamena, Papua. (Shutterstock/-)
T
he government has prioritized infrastructure development in Papua and West Papua provinces, particularly to improve road connectivity. It has been argued that connectivity brings numerous potential livelihood opportunities to indigenous Papuans and improves access to other basic services and social interaction.
The Asia Foundation, in partnership with the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), recently conducted a rapid assessment of two road routes between Sorong and Manokwari in West Papua, and between Jayapura and Wamena in Papua to measure implications of road construction for the Papuans’ well-being.
Most national and trans-Papua roads have been built since the New Order era. But according to drivers and regular road users interviewed, road conditions have significantly improved since 2014. Access to Bintuni from Manokwari; to Sausapor from Sorong in West Papua; and to Elelim from Abenaho in Papua, for instance, have undergone continuous improvements in the last four years, including through road soil compaction, construction of bridges and paving with asphalt.
Drivers of Hilux taxis (four-wheel-drive cars) no longer worry about getting stuck over night when it rains as unpaved dirt roads (the “red roads”) have been compacted. In other road sections, even smaller cars have replaced Hilux — reflecting relatively good pavement. Even ojek (motorcycle taxis) and regular modes of public transportation like angkot (minivans) and Damri government buses are operating — which to Papuans are the ultimate signs of better roads.
