Jakarta Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat has instructed the city's Transportation Agency to clamp down on motorcyclists and street vendors occupying sidewalks, and has asked Jakarta Police to help arrest violators.

“Arrest and punish them, because they have violated the rights of pedestrians,” Djarot was quoted by tempo.co.

Djarot said a similar sanction should also be imposed on street vendors who occupied sidewalks. 

“That is why I call upon mayors to tell their subdistrict and village chiefs to check on this matter,” Djarot said. 

On Friday, four members of the Koalisi Pejalan Kaki pedestrian's coalition were verbally abused and threatened by two motorcycle taxi (ojek) drivers who drove on the sidewalks along Jl. Kebon Sirih to avoid a traffic jam. 

The coalition members politely asked the ojek drivers not to drive on the sidewalks, as it was dedicated to pedestrians. In response to the request, the motorcyclists berated the activists and threatened to harm them. (wnd/dmr)