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lif Supadi revealed on Tuesday that he was the man who was assaulted by an app-based ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver after he criticized motorcyclists for riding on sidewalks in an attempt to avoid a traffic jam in East Jakarta on Aug. 6.

He said he was initially uncomfortable with the sudden media attention, but eventually changed his mind upon realizing that his case could be used to advocate for pedestrian safety.

“People are meant to walk,” he told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Alif explained that he was riding his motorcycle home along Jl. Jatiwaringin in East Jakarta during rush hour. While stuck in a severe traffic jam, he noticed other motorcyclists mounting the sidewalk, so he parked at a nearby restaurant and began his unconventional protest.

As seen in a YouTube video uploaded by pedestrian rights group Pedestrians’ Coalition, Alif was seen walking down the sidewalk telling motorcyclists that sidewalks are for pedestrians, not motorcycles.

However, one app-based ojek driver from ride-hailing company Grab retaliated by shouting back and assaulting Alif. He said the driver punched him in the face and hit him with her helmet, albeit not resulting in injuries.

Even so, Alif objected to Grab firing the driver, which happened last Wednesday.

“It’s a pity she [the ojek] was fired, because that was how she earned a living,” he said.

Sidewalks in the city are often contested between motorcyclists and pedestrians as the latter often used them as a way to escape traffic jams.

Residents and activists recently decided to stand up against motorcyclists, resulting in physical conflict in which the motorcyclists, mostly ojek drivers, have become angry and attacked pedestrians.

In July last year, members of the Pedestrians’ Coalition walked from Jl. Sabang to Jl. Kebon Sirih in Central Jakarta while carrying signboards that read “sidewalks are for pedestrians”, and “respect the rights of pedestrians”.

Upon reaching Jl. Kebon Sirih, activists clashed with two motorcyclists who had been driving on the sidewalk.

“We politely told them to go back onto the main road, but they got angry,” coalition head Alfred Sitorus said at the time.

The incident was filmed and the video went viral on social media. The motorcyclists were ojek drivers who operated in the area. In the video, one of them could be seen shouting at Alfred, telling him that he had to use the sidewalk because the road was jammed.

But soon, the threats came.

“I’ll kill you. If I bring a knife, I’ll stab you,” the ojek driver said.

The other ojek driver suddenly slammed his helmet down and began swearing at the coalition’s members. The incident, which took place at around 5 p.m., drew a crowd as people were leaving work to go home.

None of the residents or activists reported the attacks to the police. (nor)