Cycling with Anies, State Ambassador Appreciates Bicycle Lanes in Jakarta
Reported by Yudha Peta Ogara | Translated by Nugroho Adibrata
It must be increased and this is an opportunity for Jakarta to make it happen, such as structuring more routes
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan together with Danish Ambassador to Indonesia, Lars Bo Larsen; Canada Ambassador to Indonesia, Cameron Mackay; Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia, Ardi Stoios-Braken; as well as Uni Europe Ambassador to Indonesia, Igor Driesmans, enjoyed the morning atmosphere of Jakarta by cycling.
They started departing from Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, crossing Sudirman - Thamrin area, and ended at the Kendal Tunnel, Central Jakarta, on Thursday (3/11).
Dishub will Give an Award at Cycling Friendly Collaboration EventOn that occasion, the governor was seen chatting with the ambassadors of friendly countries. This moment was admittedly attractive by Danish Ambassador, Lars Bo Larsen, who enjoyed the trip.
"I like cycling and it doesn't matter when it's drizzling. Despite I feel different in the rainy season, but I like the fresh air in the morning. I certainly enjoy cycling with the governor. While cycling with him, I enjoyed his explanation about public open spaces and public transportation facilities which will continue to be integrated," expressed Danish Ambassador to Indonesia, Lars Bo Larsen, as quoted by Jakarta PPID's press release.
He also advised people should increase their immunity to exercise, such as cycling amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to him, the cycling facilities development in Jakarta was very potential considering the culture for cycling had been very high since last year.
"It must be increased and this is an opportunity for Jakarta to make it happen, such as structuring more routes. Hopefully, the city government's target about bicycle lane improvement can soon be realized," he added.
Similar statement also came out from Canada Ambassador to Indonesia, Cameron MacKay who admitted that he liked cycling during Car Free Day every Sunday before the pandemic. He explained, Jakarta had made improvements in the past three years to improve the quality of the environment and public transportation, particularly the availability of bicycle lanes.
"Honestly I love cycling in Jakarta. If we think about this city, Jakarta is a big Metropolitan area. There is a green open area, we can walk around while enjoying the atmosphere on the sidewalk, or by cycling," he explained.
He also assessed that Jakarta has great potential as a big city as a destination for tourism, business and investment. It is because Jakarta is consistent in keeping several areas green in office areas, such as providing quality public transportation facilities and maintaining pedestrian security.
"I appreciate him (Mr. Anies) for running his duties to minimize traffic jam in Jakarta," he added.
Aside that, the governor is trying to encourage people to change their mindset about cycling from sports or entertainment to a means of transportation. Moreover, Jakarta had learned from initiatives coming from big cities, such as learning from Tokyo, Paris, Brussels, Medellin, and many other cities related to bicycle lanes.
"This is a simple transformation, but it changes our way about cycling. We all look forward to a strong collaboration to commit to maintaining a sustainable mobility system, for urban resilience, and achieving the target of reducing 50 percent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and net emissions by 2050," the governor added.
