90 Percent of Jakarta Sidewalks Occupied by Street Vendors, Illegal Parking

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coalition of Pedestrian head Alfred Sitorus said street vendors and illegal parking had occupied 90 percent of sidewalks in Jakarta. 

“There are almost no sidewalks in Jakarta that are free from street sellers or illegal parking,” said Alfred on Monday, March 1.

Even in the center of the city and business sector, or along Jalan Sudirman-M.H. Thamrin that was used as a reference for the city’s winning of the Sustainable Transport Award (STA), many motorized vehicles park in the sidewalks, he said. 

“One of the criteria [for winning the award] is the prioritized facilities for pedestrians. But until now, there are still violations on the sidewalks,” Alfred added.

He lamented the award granted to the Jakarta administration for developing facilities for pedestrians, while in fact the city was still struggling to keep its sidewalks free from street vendors and illegal parking.

“So the award must be questioned with the commitment to enforcing the law against those who violate the rules, especially for the rights of pedestrians,” he said.

Weak law enforcement, Alfred went on, was evident in the recent case of a blind person who hit a truck parked on the sidewalk of Jalan Panglima Polim. According to him, there were many other cases of violations against pedestrians' rights in the capital.

Read: Jakarta Promotes Walking by Placing Street Vendors on Sidewalks

IMAM HAMDI