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Yogya not safe for cyclists, says activist
Cycling communities in Yogyakarta say the city has failed to provide safe lane for cyclists
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Cycling communities in Yogyakarta say the city has failed to provide safe lane for cyclists.
The statement was issued following a tragic accident that claimed the life of Nova Arif Safaat, 8, who was hit by a car near the Yogyakarta Kembali Monument last week and died instantly.
'We definitely need a safe lane for cyclists in this town,' Anisa Rahmawati, an avid cyclist, said on Saturday.
On Friday night, dozens of cyclists organized a theatrical act called 'Silent Bike to Remember the Tragic Accident that Claimed Nova's Life'.
Anisa said the event was organized so that people would remember that they needed discipline and tolerance while driving.
According to the city's cycling communities, last year alone there were 491 accidents involving cyclists in Yogyakarta. While this year, there have already been three recorded accidents, including Nova's.
Yogyakarta has bike lines along its main streets, Jl. Mangkubumi and Jl. Malioboro. However, many cyclists considered them far from sufficient and voiced demands for special lanes across the city.
Yogyakarta Transportation Agency head Irawan Hario Yudo said the administration had provided enough facilities, including specially built special lanes for bicycles in every traffic lights zone.
'To build special lanes across the city is rather impossible. We have done a lot to accommodate cyclists,' he said.
To date, according to Gadjah Mada University's School of Geography, Yogyakarta is home to 1,053,482 vehicles, which comprises 925,445 motorbikes and 128, 027 cars.
