W

e must learn from the Netherlands, where bicycle lanes and sidewalks cover the city. We can assign government officials to go to the Netherlands to perform “comparative study”.

Their bicycle and pedestrian lanes are well managed, safe, clean and sufficiently wide to accommodate pedestrians and bike riders comfortably. Unlike in Indonesia, in the Netherlands, motorists respect bikers and pedestrians.

No wonder people in the Netherland love to walk and bicycle so much, particularly during fine weather. I have noticed that almost every family has at least one bike. This is because the cost of ownership and operation of a car (gasoline, taxes, parking and tolls) are intentionally made very expensive.

In fact, until the 1960s in Surabaya, people were still able to enjoy sidewalks and bike lanes (built by the Dutch colonial ruler).

In those days, along the sidewalks in the Tunjungan shopping area, for example, there were many well-dressed pedestrians roaming leisurely or sitting at sidewalk cafes reminiscent of downtown Amsterdam or Paris with their electric trams.

Robby Kaware
Jakarta