Letter: Bike lanes, then what?

The Post's Oct. 25 editorial in support of bicycle lanes, "Bike lanes, then what?", notes that Jakarta's Governor, Fauzi Bowo, is only willing provide public infrastructure for bicycles once there are one million bicycles in the city.

Meanwhile there are millions of motorbikes in the city, yet the government has not created infrastructure for them. This is unfortunate, as motorcycles are the fastest and, after bicycles, the most efficient way to get around the city.

Motorbike numbers are set to double in the next seven years, but there is no plan to support or accommodate them. Perhaps if the Bike to Work people formed a coalition with some of the motorbike groups, together they could demand bike infrastructure that would help cyclists and motorbike riders alike: dedicated bike lanes on major streets; the phasing out of two-stoke motors and footpaths so pedestrians and hawkers don't have to walk on the roads.

An immediate cost-free measure would be to allow motor bikes to use the bus lanes. A longer-term approach would be to promote electric motorbikes, which are clean, efficient and don't require a license.

PATRICK ANDERSON
Jakarta