Hundreds of Bogor students 'Bike to school'

Jeanette Tamara ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Bogor   |  Mon, 08/04/2008 11:20 AM  |  City

About 250 students participated in the Bike to School cycling event on Saturday to campaign for riding bicycles to school and reduce vehicle use in Bogor.

Arif Restu Septian, chairman of the event's organizing committee, said riding to school was one of the many small actions young people could do to help curb global warming.

"Most teenagers prefer to use motor vehicles to commute, and with so many teenagers in Bogor, imagine the pollution they cause," he said.

In addition to the cycling event, there was also an environmental poster competition, a performance by various schools' extracurricular clubs, talk shows and documentary films on the environment.

"It was great and fun, although it was tiring," said Cynthia Ayu Amelia, a student at the event.

The number of people in the greater Jakarta area who commute by bicycle on a daily basis continues to rise.

Ramadhani Achdiawan from Bike to Work Bogor said there were currently an estimated 1500 people who commuted by bicycle. The Indonesian Bike to Work community was established in August 2005, with the Bogor branch opening in 2006.

Verena Puspawardani from the World Wildlife Fund said high school students had to be engaged differently from other groups on environmental issues.

"Every age group needs different packaging for the same matters, and that's where the challenge arises to be creative," she said.

Proponents of cycling to work claim it is beneficial for personal health as well as the environment.

"Cycling is efficient, it's environmentally friendly and it keeps you healthy," Achdiawan said, adding commuting by bicycle allowed people time for exercise every day instead of having to find spare time for it.

The Bike to Work Bogor community was in attendance at the event to give students tips and safety advice to help them prepare for problems they might encounter on their routes.

"Safety is really important," Achdiawan said.

He said cyclists should always map out the length of their routes and remember to use front and rear lights visible to motorists.

He also said urged them to use protective gear such as helmets and masks, and to bring along basic needs, such as water, a pump and a set of tools.

Edi Suherman, a Bogor administration official, said there was no room on the city's streets to build exclusive bicycle lanes. Achdiawan said the current bicycle lane was inadequate.

"Bike to Work is still trying to get the Bogor city administration to construct bicycle lanes in bigger streets where there is room for a new lane," he said.

He added the group had cooperated with the Green Map initiative to publish a map in which bicycle-safe routes were marked out.

Verena said awareness of environmental issues among teenagers was high but ill-informed. She said many schools were trying to raise awareness of these issues.

"Most Jakarta schools have hosted an environmental event of some sort, but one visit is not enough to create awareness, so we have to follow up."

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