Some readers might have said, "What on earth is this?" or "Ooh, look, another pet project!" when they read the report on The Jakarta Post's City page on Tuesday about the Jakarta authorities' plan to develop integrated pedestrian and bicycle lanes in the city.
Let's be clear on one thing first. People are unlikely to make such negative comments because they do not agree with the provision of better paths for Jakarta's pedestrians, who number in the millions, and cyclists, of whom there are about 10,000. And of course the bicycle itself is a healthy choice with the twin advantages of reducing pollution and providing good exercise for cyclists.
The plan itself is very constructive. As pointed out by well-known landscape architect Nirwono Jogo -- in his capacity as consultant to the City Park Agency -- the project will be simple and cheap, because all that is needed is to mark lanes with signs indicating they are for bikes and pedestrians. We do support the plan.
For years, if not for decades, Jakarta's governors have been promising to provide better sidewalks, and nearly all of them have promised to follow Singapore's Orchard Road as a model for Jakarta streets. In Central Jakarta there are more and more walkways, but this city is greater than this municipality alone.
The administration also has provided facilities more suitable for those with disabilities, especially wheelchair users, for instance by providing special lanes on some crossings on Jalan Thamrin and on Jalan Merdeka Barat in Central Jakarta. But those who need these lanes often have awful experiences on them because so many motorists ignore the traffic lights even when they can see handicapped people crossing the road legally.
And to be fair, we can't blame just the city administration for the failure to provide safe paths for pedestrians. Many public areas end up achieving nothing because street vendors take up the space, or motorists commandeer the space for themselves. The willingness of Jakarta residents to take responsibility for maintaining public facilities is low. Selfishness is evident nearly everywhere.
It is a fairly safe bet that few people will oppose Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo's statement that he will provide public infrastructure for bicycles only when there were one million bikes in the city. The governor is being honest in disclosing his reluctance to spend time and money to protect the 10,000-odd cyclists when the city is lagging behind on protecting millions of Jakartans from the dangers posed by the coming rainy season.
Many Jakartans respond to the proposal for walkways and bike lanes with some cynicism because they are tired of city officials who are very creative in planning and developing "noble" infrastructure projects that are quickly abandoned in favor of another pet project.
As architect Nirwono himself acknowledged, as quoted by this newspaper,"All we need is the administration's political will, which currently is lacking."
Look at the busway facilities. The plan is perfect, and of course thousands of commuters are helped by the busway network everyday. The question is why it is taking so long to finish the project, when there are not even any delicate problems like land appropriation, for instance.
But then again, Governor Fauzi Bowo is in a difficult position in facing the City Council. The city councilors often behave as if their only mission is to block the governor's programs. The councilors, many perceived by the public as corrupt, often have no shame in using the "public interest" as their pretext in advancing their own interests to enrich themselves or their parties.
Support the walkways and bike lanes issue. The plan deserves our whole-hearted support. It is unlikely there is anyone in Jakarta who can claim to never need the walkways. We do support every effort to create better living conditions for residents of this city.
We also need to remind the city officials of their obligation to stick to the masterplan and to implement government projects consistently.
But with the rainy season about to arrive, and little evidence to reassure us the government is making the best preparations to minimize flooding, how can we be convinced that the integrated pedestrian and bicycle lanes will not become just another pet project?
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