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edestrians in Jakarta, who have never known the privilege of spacious and comfortable sidewalks, have begun to enjoy the walkways along Jl. Sudirman and Jl. MH Thamrin, which have been renovated ahead of the Asian Games.

Arief Rachman, 42, a manager at a building management firm located in the area, said he was impressed by the new design and felt like he was not in Jakarta, a city that has long been criticized for being unfriendly to pedestrians.

“The first time I learned about [the renovation] concept, I was a bit skeptical particularly because the time was limited. But it has turned out beautiful and spacious,” he said on Tuesday. “The influence of Orchard Road [in Singapore] can be highly felt, but I think that’s OK as long as it makes it better.”

He was quick to take pictures of the new sidewalk and upload them to his social media accounts.

“For a pedestrian like me, it is like a blessing. We don’t have to fear getting hit by unruly motorists anymore,” said Arief, who commutes daily on the Transjakarta bus service from his house in Tomang, West Jakarta.

For Feni Frecinetia, 30, an employee of a private company in Central Jakarta, the spruced-up sidewalks encouraged her to travel on foot instead of taking an ojek (motorcycle taxi) when she wished to go to places nearby.

“The sidewalks are more spacious with brand new paving. It feels safer to walk on because there are no more passing motorcycles or street vendors. Now I prefer to walk,” she said.

Feni, who hails from Condet in East Jakarta, felt that similar designs should be implemented for other sidewalks in Jakarta.

“I also hope that the city administration can plant some trees on it, because at midday the sun is scorching, particularly in front of the Pullman Hotel,” she said, adding that she urged the administration to strictly enforce the law so street vendors and motorcyclists would not come back to occupy the sidewalks again.

The renovation project on 6.9 kilometers of sidewalks along Jl. Sudirman and Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta, which will directly connect to MRT stations, was initiated during the administration of former Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama in 2016.

Governor Anies Baswedan, who took office late last year, ordered changes in the project design, pushing back the project to March.

Since the change of leadership, work was delayed after Governor Anies Baswedan demanded a revision to the design, including a request for motorcycle lanes.

City-owned PT MRT Jakarta, publicly listed PT Jaya Konstruksi Manggala Pratama and state-owned PT Wijaya Karya are the developers responsible for the expansion project.

Pedestrian Coalition head Alfred Sitorus said the revamped sidewalks were still far from perfect. “It shouldn’t stop here, it still needs further improvement,” he said.

“Have [the city administration] estimated how many people will use the sidewalks once the MRT is operational? The sidewalks have indeed been widened to 8 meters, but will that be enough?” he added.

In the future, Alfred added, the city should work with building managements along Jl. Sudirman and Jl. MH Thamrin to improve pedestrian access to the buildings and connectivity between sidewalks.

Passerby Nova Wulandari said she was happy with the renovation but still felt uncomfortable walking down the sidewalks. She works in an office located in a building near Bendungan Hilir MRT station.

“[The sidewalks] are broader and prettier. But I think the city is prioritizing looks rather than the function of the sidewalk itself. There are many ongoing construction projects that spew dust that make people uncomfortable,” she said.

Jakarta Environment Agency deputy head Ali Maulana Hakim said his office had deployed extra personnel in order to maintain the cleanliness of the sidewalks, along with a road sweeper truck.

“The truck is equipped with a water sprayer that can clean the sidewalks,” he said.