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View all search resultsCars over people? Sidewalk cuts in South Jakarta draw backlash
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No way out: Vehicles stuck in traffic congestion on Aug. 4 TB Simatupang road, Cilandak, South Jakarta. (Antara/Sulthony Hasanuddin)
T
he Jakarta administration’s plan to trim sidewalks along the heavily congested TB Simatupang road in South Jakarta has sparked widespread criticism, with critics warning it undermines pedestrian rights and contradicts the city’s vision of becoming a “global city”.
The east–west corridor has long been notorious for gridlock, particularly during rush hour, a situation worsened in recent months by water pipe installation works that reduced two lanes to one. To ease traffic, Governor Pramono Anung earlier instructed his administration to take short-term measures, including repurposing sidewalks at bottleneck points to widen road space.
“We apologize to Jakarta residents for the inconvenience, and we urge the public to switch to mass transportation to help reduce traffic volume,” Pramono’s special staffer Yustinus Prastowo said in a statement on Saturday.
The plan, however, has drawn sharp opposition from pedestrian advocacy groups. Road Safety Association (RSA) Indonesia said trimming the sidewalks ignores social justice and runs counter to a commitment to sustainable transport and equal access.
“Sidewalks are basic rights for all citizens, not a privilege,” the group said on Sunday, urging Governor Pramono to better assess resident’s actual needs and to refrain from making “knee-jerk” policies in response to viral social media discourse.
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The Pedestrian Coalition echoed the concern, calling the plan “a setback” for Jakarta’s decades-long push to build sustainable urban mobility.
