Jakarta Metropolitan is not for pedestrians. Certainly, Jakarta has not been designed for it. The city seems to be prioritized for the cars’ mobility. No comfortable sidewalks are available nor zebra-crosses are enough for people to stroll around enjoying the metropolitan life.
The condition of pedestrian access is poor not only in the periphery of the city but also in business, shopping, tourist and office areas where many people used to circulate carrying out their routine activities.
The pedestrians would be pleased if the sidewalks are free from obstacles such as sidewalk traders and parking vehicles. Ideally, the width of the sidewalks at the protocol road is 5 meters and non-protocol roads 3 meters, but they would be more than happy if they can stride on good sidewalks even though they are narrower.
The city government seems to be indifferent by the misuse of the sidewalks. The city government may claim that they have modern management but fail to recognize the basic problem of the city. Permissiveness for people not to observe discipline, cleanliness, and tidiness under the reason of poverty is the source of the problem not only in Jakarta but nationwide.
On the strategic spots, many sidewalks are occupied by traders, some of whom have semi-permanent stalls on them. Many parking-men are careless about the interest of the pedestrians and just let the vehicles park on the sidewalks hindering the pedestrians to easily pass along the sidewalks.
In order to beautify and make the city become greener, the city government allows some flower cultivators to display their ornamental plants on the sidewalks which in many cases take the whole sidewalks area leaving out little or no space for pedestrians.
Recently city officials start to recognize that most of the sidewalks in Jakarta are in poor condition. Some are heavily damaged, some are too small, and others are almost at the same height as the road level making the motorcycle drivers who are trapped in a traffic jam can easily run over the sidewalks endangering pedestrians.
Realizing the previous negligence, the city government today is trying to improve at least 13 sidewalks and make them exemplary models mainly in Central Jakarta. In addition, regular patrol to drive out the sidewalk traders and demolish their illegal stalls, if any, or other obstacles for pedestrians will be carried out regularly.
Jakarta City Government should not be hesitated to make a comparative study to Surabaya. The Surabaya mayor has renewed water channel and at the same time improved the sidewalks above it. All activities on the sidewalks which have nothing to do with pedestrians are reduced and prohibited. The sidewalk traders are given special places for them to sell their merchandise and staple diet.
Some of the sidewalks were paved with marble stone blocks to beautify the sidewalks. Several statues and art ornaments are erected in some sidewalks making people feel comfortable to stroll. In the meantime, city police and officials regularly patrol around the city to make sure that either traders, parking-men or homeless families make use of the sidewalks for their own needs.
One of the advantages that Surabaya gains in improving the management of sidewalks are because the current city mayor was formerly the chairman of City Park and therefore she knows well all about the problems related to the sidewalks.
But above all, in order to manage the city properly, the city government should change their mindset that the discipline should be held and strictly imposed on their residents. Orders, cleanliness and tidiness are everybody’s duty to keep for the benefit of all people anywhere and any time.
