TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - As of Friday, July 27, tourists visiting Jakarta’s National Monument (Monas) are now able to tour around the city’s landmark by cycling on a ‘bike sharing’ platform provided by digital app company, Surya Teknologi Perkasa free of charge.

In total, there are 100 bicycles that are spread across seven stations within the Monas area. Users must download an app called GOWES available for iOS and Android smartphones. However, here are Tempo’s tips before you ride-off to a distance with the bicycles.

1. Most accessible station

Not every bicycle station is visible through the app, which is why Tempo recommends tourists to enter Monas from its West Gate across the horse statue at West Medan Merdeka Street. There are dozens of bicycles that are parked in this station compared to other bike stations.

2. Read the instructions

Tourists are advised to read the entire instructions upon using the bicycle that are available in each bike station, considering that there are no operators on standby at the stations.

3. Have a strong phone network

Since the bicycles are linked to an online system, make sure that you have a strong internet connection since we saw firsthand several tourists failing to access the bike sharing app through their smartphone.

4. Have a decent camera phone

In order to borrow the free bikes, you need to scan a barcode through the app. This step requires you to have a good camera phone. Tempo once again found that several tourists with smartphone cameras that lack good quality failed to scan the provided barcode.

Furthermore, don’t stop at one try if you did not manage to scan the bike’s barcode, if one does not work move to another bike and try again, but you should restart your app before scanning another bike.

5. Daytime visits

In order to have a good experience cycling around Monas, Tempo advices you to visit from 09:00 Western Indonesia Time (WIB) or later in the day at around 16:00 WIB since the Jakarta heat will not hamper you from keep on cycling.

6. Bring your own water bottle

Due to Monas’ 80 hectare width, do not forget to bring a fully-filled water bottle of any type to avoid dehydration.

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA