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Jakarta juggles demands of bike commuters, sport cyclists, motorists
The administration has found itself juggling ways to appease motorists, sport cyclists and bicycle commuters as it seeks to make city streets safe and accessible for everyone.
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A cyclist rides on Jl. Sudirman in Central Jakarta on Dec. 4, 2020, hemmed in by motorists. (JP/A. Muh. Ibnu Aqil)
T
he Jakarta administration has found itself juggling ways to appease motorists, sport cyclists and bicycle commuters as it seeks to make city streets safe and accessible for everyone.
Over the past week, sport cycling communities have been on the receiving end of a social media uproar after a photo went viral of a motorcyclist giving the finger to a peloton of cyclists taking up nearly the entire breadth of Jl. Sudirman, a principal artery of Central Jakarta.
Social media users criticized the cyclists for their apparent domination of the road and for making it difficult for motorists to pass, even though bike lanes existed on Jl. Sudirman.
Some 63 kilometers of designated bike lanes exist across the city.
Responding to the controversy, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said his administration prioritized bikes as means of transportation instead of for exercise or sport.
“People need to realize that the streets do not belong to only one mode of transportation. We should be considerate of our own safety and that of others when using the street,” Anies told reporters on Thursday morning.
Read also: Helmet on! Ministry issues bicycle safety rules
