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Street racers applaud new rules for sport
Street racers in the capital say they hail a new plan by Jakarta officials to decriminalize and organize their late-night contests, although it might eliminate the peculiar attraction of their dangerous and illicit activities
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Street racers in the capital say they hail a new plan by Jakarta officials to decriminalize and organize their late-night contests, although it might eliminate the peculiar attraction of their dangerous and illicit activities.
Racer Yusuf aka Komo, 20, said that he welcomed the plan, in which the city police and administration would regulate street racing, as well as provide racers with raceways and racing coaches.
According to Komo, with new facilities, racers will be able to engage in their hobby without fear of being caught by the police.
'With the realization of the plan, we and the police will no longer be like cats and mice,' Komo told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. 'Moreover, supervision from the police will keep drugs away from the racers ' as often happens.'
Nonetheless, Komo suggested officials keep the procedures to access the facilities and participate in the races simple so that all racers in the capital would be willing to follow the rules.
Meanwhile, female street racer Ignatia Widyawati, 19, said regulations would reduce the thrill of racing on the streets in the late evening.
She said that she was glad to know that the city authorities supported her hobby. She further explained that she did not mind following regulations set by the authorities as long as she could race 'with no worries about a police raid'.
They both revealed that racing on streets was their way to enjoy their hobbies while earning money.
They explained that if they won a race, they could get no less than Rp 500,000 (US$36.15) from spectators making bets.
Street racing is popular among teenagers in the capital. They usually race in the late evenings on weekends on a number of roads, like Jl. Asia-Afrika and Jl. Benyamin Sueb in Central Jakarta. Many accidents, however, have taken place because of the risky activity.
In an attempt to curb traffic accidents caused by the street racing, on Tuesday the Jakarta Police, the city administration and other relevant agencies, as well as the Indonesia Motorbike Association, agreed to decriminalize street racing.
On the same day, they also established a body to accommodate street-racing decriminalization.
Jakarta Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama and Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Tito Karnavian are involved in the body as patrons, while Jakarta Traffic Police chief Sr. Comr. Risyapudin Nursin has been appointed the chief.
Ahok said that the city administration supported the plan as it would provide a safer place for youths seeking an adrenaline rush.
'Official street racing would prevent accidents. We could provide a place free of obstacles like electrical poles for such activities. Illegal street racing is dangerous and people can die. I'm on board if the police seek to make street racing legal,' he said.
Ahok explained that street racing venues must be guarded by policemen and that it should not be of any danger to other motorists. However, he said that he would wait for the police to take the lead.
Automotive expert and safety riding activist Jusri Pulubuhu said that he supported the decriminalization plan as it would reduce crashes involving people in their productive ages. He said in Indonesia 45 percent of people killed on roads were youngsters aged between 15 to 29 years.
Therefore, he demanded that officials set proper regulations to ensure the safety of the street racers, as well as other road users. He urged the officials to oblige racers to wear riding trousers, shoes and helmets.
Child protection activist Seto Mulyadi said the plan would be a good solution to accommodate the explosive emotions of teenagers, those who were usually involved in street racing. He also said that the administration should guarantee their safety by providing safety regulations, as well as racing trainers.
'If the officials just provide spaces without ensuring their safety, they will likely violate teenager's rights to have protection,' Seto said. (agn)
