T

he Jakarta administration still lacks a decent pedestrian zone, a condition aggravated by the lack of regulations to ensure pedestrians’ rights.

An urban planning analyst at Jakarta-based Trisakti University, Nirwono Joga, said the recent accident in which nine pedestrians were killed in Gambir, Central Jakarta, on Sunday, should prompt the city’s administration to improve pedestrian facilities and services.

In the accident, a black Daihatsu Xenia swerved off Jl. M.I. Ridwan Rais in Central Jakarta, while traveling at around 100 kilometers per hour and plowed into two groups of pedestrians, killing nine of them. Seven pedestrians died at the scene, while a further two died later in hospital.

Nirwono observed that the capital has virtually no suitable sidewalks available for its pedestrians.

“Most roads have no sidewalks whatsoever. Those that do only provide a very narrow space for people to walk on, and those few sidewalks that are large enough are covered with obstacles, preventing comfortable or safe walking,” Nirwono told The Jakarta Post.

Unlike many other capitals in the world, Jakarta has yet to offer safe and foot-worthy sidewalks.

“The city cares more about constructing roads than sidewalks. Pedestrians are considered the lowest caste of road users,” Nirwono said.

As part of its regional strategic planning for 2007-2012, the Jakarta Development Planning Agency (Bappeda) listed optimizing roads and bridges and pedestrian facilities, including sidewalks, shelters, zebra crossings and crossing bridges, as its main goal within the transportation sector.

Improvements of sidewalks, however, were relegated to a position below residential and arterial road construction, and road widening and extensions in its list of targets.

In a 2003 bylaw on traffic and transportation, the administration also lists the regulations pedestrians should obey, but falls short of clearly stating pedestrians’ rights or how motorists should respect
pedestrians.

Separately on Tuesday, Catharina Suryowati, the chief of the Jakarta Park and Cemetery Agency, which is responsible for sidewalk construction and maintenance, admitted that the city’s sidewalks were still far from ideal.

“On average, the city’s sidewalks are between 1 meter and 2 meters wide. Ideally, they should be at least 5 meters wide,” Catharina said.

The agency chief said, however, that widening sidewalks would be very difficult to do considering the limited space available and high land prices.

“But, we won’t stop in our efforts. We will continue to improve sidewalks despite the grave limitations,” she said.

Catharina said the city had installed various types of barriers to deter motorists and vendors from taking up pedestrian space.

“But these barriers are not intended to protect pedestrians from fatal contact with motor vehicles,” she said referring to the deadly accident on Sunday.

The agency has announced plans to invest up to Rp 10 billion (US$1.11 million) for the renovation of sidewalks on Jl. Gajah Mada and Jl. Hayam Wuruk in Central Jakarta this year.

The sidewalks on both streets will be elevated, cleared from obstructions, and will be fenced off so that vehicles cannot park on them.

Catharina said the project was still at its study phase, as well as plans for other sidewalk-
improvement projects on Jl. Cikini Raya, Jl. Sabang and Jl. M.I. Ridwan Rais – all in Central Jakarta.