City to Improve Facilities for people with Disability

Jakarta Provincial Government keeps improving public facilities for people with disability in the capital city. Among those facilities are public transportation and sidewalks, thus the rights of people with disability would be equal with normal people.

No one wants to be born or become people with disability. That’s why many of our transportation system facilities must be improved (for people with disability)

Head of Traffic Unit Engineering Management Division for Jakarta Transportation Department, Masdes Arrofi, said there are three options that could be used as alternatives for people with disability to reach the pedestrian bridge (JPO) in TransJakarta bus stops. Those options are elevator, escalator, and ramp, which chosen because from 165 JPOs that connected with TransJakarta bus stops, only half of them have ramps.

“We’ll collect the data of remaining JPOs that have no ramp yet and what alternative to be used. Next year, we plan to fix steep ramps and damaged elevators. The budget proposed for it is Rp 2.5 billion,” he stated, Wednesday (12/3).

2015, PU Department Handle Pedestrian Maintenance

For information, at this time there are seven elevators on JPOs which located five on Jalan Thamrin and two in Kota Train Station. From that amount, only one elevator on Jalan Thamrin which still operating, while the remaining six elevators are damaged.

Head of Green Belt Planning Section for Jakarta Parks and Cemeteries Department, Rika Anggraini, admitted that except the sidewalks on Jalan Sudirman, Jalan Thamrin, Jalan Medan Merdeka, Jalan Wahid Hasyim, Jalan Hayam Wuruk, as well as around Monas and Menteng Park, other sidewalks in the city are still inadequate.

“This year, two sidewalks which located on Jalan Satrio Casablanca and Jalan Rasuna Said will be improved become people with disability friendly,” she told.

The sidewalks in both locations are currently 1-6 meters and will be widened to 6-8 meters. However, the work is still constrained with lands belong to private party. Thus, it is likely the work this year to be carried out for 500-700 meters.

“We hope the private party would be willing to give their lands for us to be used as sidewalks. In the future, we’ll be needing legal protection, thus private lands could be used for public purposes as a solution,” she uttered.

Meanwhile, Bagus Supriyanto, a presidium member of Jakarta Transportation Council (DTKJ), assessed that many sidewalks and JPOs still have not met the standards for people with disability. Whereas, the Bylaw No. 10/2011 on People with Disability and Bylaw No. 5/2014 on Transportation regulate about facilities procurement that accommodates people with disability.

“No one wants to be born or become people with disability. That’s why many of our transportation system facilities must be improved (for people with disability),” he asserted.