Spreading it out: Car Free Day to resume at 32 locations after brief cancellation

Car Free Day in Jakarta.
Car Free Day in Jakarta.

It appears that officials in Jakarta didn’t quite make up their minds yesterday when they announced the suspension of Car Free Day (CFD) after the event drew huge crowds during its reopening last Sunday, as officials today announced that the weekly event is back on track, albeit with location-based adjustments.

Also Read: Car Free Day canceled (again) after Sunday event drew huge crowds

CFD, which ordinarily involves the closure of Central Jakarta’s main commercial thoroughfare including Jalan Sudirman and Jalan MH Thamrin to motorized vehicles every Sunday morning, was held for the first time in months last Sunday, though street food vendors were still not allowed to resume business amid the transitional phase of the Large-Scale Social Distancing (PSBB) protocol.

The event drew huge crowds from start to finish, prompting criticism towards the provincial government’s decision on the matter as Jakarta still holds the highest COVID-19 caseload in the country. Netizens gave the event a new meaning due to the influx of the CFD-deprived Jakartans, as ‘Corona Free Day’ briefly trended on Twitter as a result. 

The Jakarta provincial government announced today that CFD still won’t be held along Sudirman-Thamrin road for an undetermined period of time, but will instead take place at 32 locations across the city starting this coming Sunday.

“What happened at CFD the other day has been evaluated. As a result, we have prepared 32 locations to replace the CFD that’s usually held on Sudirman-Thamrin road. There are seven locations that are routinely used as regional CFD, plus 25 roads that will be optimized as public spaces for people who want to exercise,Jakarta Transportation Agency head Syafrin Liputo said yesterday.

“From our evaluation, the total number of people carrying out activities [at last Sunday’s CFD] was approximately 40,155 people. There were 21,342 pedestrians, 18,813 cyclists. They’re quite huge figures, not including those who entered the surrounding buildings.”

The new CFD spots will be spread out to eight locations in Central Jakarta, eight in West Jakarta, six in North Jakarta, and five locations each in East and South Jakarta. Syafrin said that people can do outdoor exercises on these designated areas from 6am to 9am, though street food vendors will still be prohibited.

The complete list of the new CFD locations ⁠— including Benyamin Sueb Street in Pademangan, North Jakarta and Antasari Flyover, South Jakarta, among others ⁠— are listed here.

On Sunday, officials performed rapid tests on some 600 people at CFD, in which five people received “reactive” results. However, the five later tested negative for the coronavirus after they were made to take PCR tests.

The Jakarta Provincial Government has since admitted that it underestimated the number of people who would turn up for CFD.

Jakartans seem to be eager for some outdoor exercise following months of partial lockdown measures in the capital. Earlier this month, thousands flocked to the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) sports complex for exercise and selfies when the facility reopened.



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