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Residents to celebrate New Year in diversity
If you are in Yogyakarta during the 2010 New Year’s Eve, do not miss the parade of thousands of cyclists along the ancient city’s busy streets
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I
f you are in Yogyakarta during the 2010 New Year’s Eve, do not miss the parade of thousands of cyclists along the ancient city’s busy streets.
You can even join in while enjoying other types of new year festivities.
“I promise you a different type of new year celebration for 2010.
“Some 10,000 cyclists are expected to crowd the city streets on their bicycles,” Yogyakarta Mayor Herry Zudianto told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
Herry said cyclists would be given priority on the main streets of the city on New Year’s Eve, while restrictions would be given to motorized vehicles to pass through the city.
As the country’s second most popular tourist destination region, Yogyakarta has always been full of visitors during the holiday season, ensuring hotels and other accommodation is mostly booked.
This New Year’s Eve will be no different, especially because the celebration coincides with the long weekend, as it falls on Friday, forcing authorities to apply the so-called “open-close scheme” to motorized vehicles on entering particular streets to prevent traffic congestion.
“We have coordinated with the police to manage and give privilege to cyclists.
“We consider them first-class citizens and will let them cycle along downtown streets on New Year’s Eve,” Herry said.
Herry, however, said that the bicycle parade would not halt other New Year parties and festivities performed across the city, including firework displays, musical performances and motorbike parades.
Municipal Transportation Agency operational control section chief Udiyono said that some spots in the
Yogyakarta downtown area would be completely freed from motorized vehicles on New Year’s Eve.
Among them include the streets of Jl. Ahmad Yani, Jl Malioboro, Jl Senopati, Jl Trikora and the Zero Kilometer area.
“In those regions, only bicycles and pedestrians are allowed to pass,” Udiyono said.
Udiyono also said that bicycles would be given the privilege to rumble around downtown Yogyakarta, as part of the municipal administration campaign to reduce air pollution and promote a healthier life style through using bicycles, non-polluting vehicles.
The municipal administration made headlines in local media previously as it declared the city hall and the city administration office compounds as free-of-motorized-vehicle areas every Friday.
In Medan, North Sumatra, residents will gather in several locations, such as Merdeka and Benteng fields and areas around Polonia Airport, to celebrate the change of the year.
Bandarlampung residents will crowd entertainment centers during New Year’s Eve. The centers are Bukit Randu in East Tanjungkarang Timur, Lembah Hijau in West Tanjungkarang, and Space Lounge in Central Tanjung Karang.
Meanwhile, the Lahat regency administration will organize a mass prayer to mark the changing of the year. The mass prayer will feature noted ulema Ahmad Alhabsy from Jakarta.
“We want to close this year in peace and with introspect.
“We hope that all programs will work smoothly next year,” Lahat Regent Syaifudin Asawari Rivai said Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a lunar eclipse and full moon will welcome the changing of the year. It will occur on Jan. 1 at 1. 53 a.m and will last until 2.52 a.m.
“It will be interesting because it is occurring for the new year,” Moedji Raharto, senior astronomer of the Bandung Institute of Technology, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
