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n an effort to reduce the number of motorists and encourage more residents to use public transportation, real estate developer PT Jaya Real Property Tbk (JRPT) has developed Indonesia's first integrated pedestrian and bicycle path in housing complex Bintaro Jaya, located in South Tangerang, Banten.

The 12-kilometer-long path, which will open to the public this Sunday, will allow walkers and bikers to travel to bus and train stations as well as shopping centers in the complex using a designated lane.

Urban analyst Nirwono Joga said the Rp 17 billion (US$1.4 million) path should be replicated.

'So many people in Jakarta travel with private vehicles and cause traffic congestion. This is because they don't feel safe enough to walk, bike or use public transportation because it's not convenient,' Nirwono told reporters on Thursday.

Nirwono, who is also JRPT's consultant for the development of the pedestrian and bicycle path, criticized the city administration for ignoring walkers and cyclists.

'The city administration is more concerned about developing Transjakarta facilities and the monorail infrastructure. These are important, but they have forgotten the most important aspect: walkers. People can't get on a bus or a train without walking,' he said.

Nirwono added that in the city, sidewalks, which were supposedly only for pedestrian use, were usually crowded with street vendors (PKL), motorcycle taxis (ojek) waiting for passengers and motorcycle drivers trying to avoid the traffic.

Moreover, he said, although the city administration had developed a bicycle path by the East Flood Canal (KBT) in East Jakarta and a bicycle lane in Blok M, South Jakarta, both were rarely used by cyclists because they were discouraged by motorists and PKL obstructing them in the lane.

Nirwono said this situation was caused by a lack of assertiveness and monitoring from the Jakarta administration and police.

'The pedestrian and bike path in Bintaro is the first of its kind in Indonesia. Hopefully it can be a pilot model to be developed in major streets in Jakarta and other cities in the archipelago. It takes time and commitment, but it's worth it,' Nirwono said.

Project manager Michael Toar said to prevent motorcyclists from using the path, Bintaro Jaya had provided several security officers and two patrol cars to provide 24-hour monitoring of the lane.

'They will ensure motorcyclists don't use it,' Michael said.

He said the path was built to encourage Bintaro residents who were mostly in the middle and upper classes and who owned one or more cars, to use public transportation.

To receive building permits (IMB) and pass the environmental impact analysis (Amdal), developers and property owners are obliged to provide pedestrian facilities in their designs. However, the city administration has failed to monitor this, causing the majority of developers and property owners to neglect implementation.

For example, the newly-built Kemang Village mall on Jl. Pangeran Antasari in South Jakarta lacks a walkway along the 3-kilometer road between its gate and entrance.

BSD City in South Tangerang only has sidewalks along the main roads but not inside clusters. Pedestrians in clusters must walk on roads designed for motorized vehicles.

Moreover, only a few buildings along Jl. MH Thamrin and Jl. Sudirman in Central and South Jakarta respectively provide walking lanes for pedestrians ' though narrow ones that are inadequate, especially for the disabled.

Developers says they do not provide the facilities because there is no demand from consumers, but urban critic Elisa Sutanudjaja has said that in the event that a developer provided such facilities, the residents would usually use it. (dwa)