On Dec. 17, 2012, then Jakarta governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo officially opened a dedicated bicycle lane in the East Flood Canal, claimed to be the city’s longest bike lane.

Hours later, motorcycles invaded the lane, an illegal move that faced no resistance from law enforcement institutions.

Therefore, each time Mahardika Putra rides his bike to the office, he struggles as hundreds of motorcycles pack the lane.

It is a horrible experience that would discourage anyone from switching to the more environmentally friendly mode of transportation, he said. No one, he said, treated it as a dedicated line for cyclists.

“I have never seen a cyclist get angry when motorcycles take over the lane and I have never seen a motorcyclist express guilt for doing so,” he told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday, adding that the situation was even worse during rush hour.

Stretching 6.7 kilometers of the 23.5-km canal that runs from Cipinang Besar Selatan to Duren Sawit in East Jakarta, cyclists have complained about the poor construction of the lane. The lane, for instance, is paved with concrete, making it slippery after downpour.

Wardani, who lives nearby, said to add to the misery of cyclists, dozens of street vendors also packed the area on weekends, as the open green space had become a popular spot for locals to hang out and exercise.

“Sausage and beverage sellers can be seen along the lane, and young people sometimes use the lane for motorcycle racing,” she said.

The city administration has constructed other bicycle lanes in South Jakarta that are rarely used by cyclists, as motorcycles, cars and street vendors seem to have a habit of taking over the lanes.

In Jakarta, bicycles are not popularly used by people as a means of transportation, with pollution and safety as the main considerations.

The city administration constructed its first bike lane in Ayodya Park to Blok M in South Jakarta to attract more cyclists and reduce congestion in 2011, but lack of commitment from locals, law enforcement institutions and the city administration to sterilize the lane created serious doubt over whether the plan would ever see success.

Toto Sugito from the Bike to Work community said he believed the city administration should invest in changing the behaviors of residents instead of infrastructure by building bicycle lanes, emphasizing that the absence of regulation to protect the lanes from other modes of transportation as the biggest challenge to creating cyclist-friendly areas.

The community has been holding discussions with the city administration since 2009, however he said for some reason the administration failed to understand that building infrastructure without issuing regulations was useless.

“If there was a regulation to protect the lanes, it would be easier for law enforcement officers to take firm action against motorcyclists or street vendors invading the lanes,” he said.

He said the city administration under Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama recently promised to create a better environment for cyclists by, among others efforts, building an elevated lane for bikes in Central Jakarta.

“However, talks between us and city administration must be postponed due to the Jakarta election. I hope talks can commence soon,” he continued.

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