Ever since Anies Baswedan was elected Jakarta governor last month, he has announced several plans to overturn major policies enacted by his predecessor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, including the divisive motorcycle ban in Central Jakarta.
The ban, introduced in 2014, prevents motorcycles from entering Central Jakarta’s main thoroughfare, which includes Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat and Jalan MH Thamrin. However, Anies said last week that he’s considering lifting the ban so that all of Jakarta’s roads is accessible to every citizen regardless of what vehicle they drive.
Anies’ plan drew criticism from National Police Traffic Corps Chief Royke Lumowa, who today said that while he doesn’t know Anies’ reasoning, he believes the current administration should prioritize public transportation to fix the capital’s traffic woes.
“If motorcycles are allowed there (on Jalan Thamrin), then that’s the same as not promoting (public transportation). There is cause and effect for everything, and I’m sure the administration has looked into it, but I don’t know what his (Anies’) reasoning is (for planning to lift the ban),” Royke said today, as quoted by Merdeka.
“The first priority should be on having larger public transportation options like in the Dutch colonialization days when we had many trains.”
When Ahok banned motorcycles from entering Jalan Thamrin in December 2014, many decried the move as discriminatory, but Ahok argued the ban was needed to reduce congestion and accidents along the perpetually gridlocked stretch of road in the heart of the capital.
Attempts to expand the motorcycle ban area outside of Thamrin have been discussed, most recently by Ahok’s temporary replacement, Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat, but strong public opposition to the plans have always led them to back down.
