Receiving Bicycle-Friendly City Award, Anies: This is the Collective Work of All Jakartans

Jakarta received an award as Bicycle-Friendly City in Indonesia from Bike to Work Community (B2W), on Tuesday (21/12) at the National Library, Central Jakarta. Jakarta became the first city to receive an award as Bike-Friendly City in the Metropolitan City category.

It is not 1-2 years of work, but it is a situation that we have been living and continued for a very long time, and it has completed, thank God Jakarta is getting friendlier by day day for cyclists

Jakarta Governor, Anies Baswedan said that his side was honored for the award. At the same time, it also used to encourage local government, especially Jakarta Government to innovate more and implement the best policies for citizens, especially for cyclists.

"I would like to thank and appreciate the collective work of many people in Jakarta. It is not 1-2 years of work, but it is a situation that we have been living and continued for a very long time, and it has completed, thank God Jakarta is getting friendlier by day day for cyclists," he mentioned, as quoted from Jakarta PPID Press Release.

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He mentioned, this award was given to Jakarta Province as an award for Jakarta residents, agencies/private/communities and Jakarta government officials as a result of collaboration that produces policies and facilities needed for cyclists.

“Our success does not stand alone, every success is part of a long work, across time and carried out in across communities of Jakarta. We want cycling not only to be seen as a sporting activity, but also activity for transportation. We are trying seriously so that cyclists in Jakarta get comfort, security, and it's not something simple for a city as complex as Jakarta," he said.

Jakarta Government encourages transportation conversion to the use of bicycles, one of which is by setting priorities for road users in the Capital City, namely (1) Pedestrians, (2) Bicycles/emission-free vehicles, (3) Public transportation, and (4) Private vehicles.

The priority of handling transportation in Jakarta is to prioritize pedestrians and encourage the use of non-motorized vehicles or environmentally friendly motorized vehicles. Especially for bicycles, namely the development of bicycle lanes which in 2021 is targeted to reach 190 km and in 2030 along 600 km.

Current number of cyclists have increased to 627 trips to support daily movement, sports and travel. It is integrated with other intermodal such as Transjakarta bus stops, MRT stations and the upcoming Jabodebek LRT network.

"Bicycle policy and bicycle facilities development that have been established by Jakarta Government are one of the main parts to realize the commitment that Jakarta will become a Climate-Resilient City by 2030," he explained.

Being climate-resilient city, he continued, means being a city that is resilient to shocks and pressures, preparing city residents to mitigate and adapt to a changing environment due to impact of climate change. Jakarta has a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030 and ambitious target to reduce direct greenhouse gas emissions by 50%, as well as net zero emissions by 2050. In order to achieve them, Jakarta needs to work together and synergize with various parties in implementing climate disaster mitigation and adaptation actions (Jakarta collaboration).

"We also have Governor's Regulation Number 90/2021 on Climate Resistant Regional Low Carbon Development Plans (RPRKD). RPRKD is a regulation at regional level which is comprehensive and contains climate change actions that integrate mitigation and adaptation actions in DKI Jakarta," he asserted.

This Climate Resistant Regional Low Carbon Development Plan (RPRKD) is a form of Jakarta Government's commitment in making an active contribution to the achievement of Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). As well as the global commitments that have been agreed in Paris Agreement by accelerating climate change mitigation and adaptation actions within the remaining deadline towards 2030 as a stepping stone to net zero emission by 2050.

Jakarta Government is also currently preparing Grand Design for Air Pollution Control as a guide in determining long-term strategies and actions to control air quality.

"Hopefully Jakarta and all regions of Indonesia will continue to develop," he conveyed.

For information, B2W (Bike to Work Community) is a community that started from concerns about congestion, energy wastage and increased pollution. Starting from a group of mountain bike enthusiasts (Gas Pipeline Community), the Cycling Worker Community (B2W) was born, which was then declared at Jakarta City Hall in August 2005, attended by approximately 750 cyclists.