Since the issue of sidewalk misuse in Jakarta got thrown into the spotlight last month, the capital’s governor, Djarot Saiful Hidayat, has promised to crackdown on motorcyclists and street stalls taking over the city’s pedestrian walkways. The Jakarta Police said last week they have already ticketed some 15,000 motorcyclists for driving on sidewalks after 29 days of a crackdown operation, but Djarot says he’s not letting up and will severely increase penalties on motorcyclists found using sidewalks starting in September.
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Currently, motorcyclists might have to face a Rp 250,000 fine for a sidewalk driving violation. But Djarot said that the current operation is more about socializing how serious the government is taking the problem, and that beginning next month, drivers caught on sidewalks could lose their government health and education subsidies.
“In September. I hope there are those who get tougher sanctions, namely the revocation of the BPJS (national health care service) and the KJP (Jakarta Smart Card, which gives parents subsidies to cover education costs),” Djarot said as quoted by Tribun.
Djarot said the severe punishment would be applied to repeat sidewalk scofflaws, in an effort to deter others.
A protest video showing members of a pedestrian rights group fighting to keep motorcyclist off of a sidewalk in Jakarta went viral last month, helping to insert the age-old issue of sidewalk usage into the capital’s conversation once again.
