Ulma Haryanto – A campaign in Central Jakarta to reclaim sidewalks for pedestrian use was foiled by a lack of support from the city, a nongovernmental organization claims.
Last week, the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy set up a sidewalk "park" at the northern end of Jalan Sabang and invited community members and the head of the Jakarta Transportation Agency, Udar Pristono, to visit.
"We covered a section of the sidewalk with artificial grass, flowers, a white picket fence and benches," Ratna Yunita, an ITDP communication specialist, said on Thursday.
To their dismay, however, the items were gone the next day. "One person called us and asked why the park was gone," Ratna said.
"It is true that when we started this, a lot of people doubted that it would last. A cafe in front of the park asked if it had to pay for security so that the park could stay," she added.
"The 2009 Law on Road Traffic and Transportation stipulates that the sidewalk is a facility for pedestrians. This alone explains that the sidewalk is not a parking space for vehicles."
Ratna said the ITDP was still waiting for the government to act on the rapid disappearance of public space in Jakarta.
"We wanted the area to be a showcase. Afterward, it would be up to the government to decide whether it wanted to duplicate it in other areas," she said.
"Jalan Sabang was selected because the area is so popular. And since the food stalls in the area were relocated, the vacant sidewalks are now being used as parking spaces."
According to an ITDP survey, an average of 300 vehicles park on the stretch of road each hour.
When asked about the missing sidewalk park, Udar said "it was meant to be temporary."
He added, however, that cars should no longer park on the sidewalk along Jalan Sabang, pointing out there was a parking lot near the National Monument (Monas), a few hundred meters north. Authorities are planning to build a covered walkway connecting the areas.
But Udar said his office was going to focus on straightening out the parking at Pasar Baru market in Central Jakarta. "We want to use IT for its ticketing, just like in Blok M [South Jakarta]," he added.