Cycling and Walking as PSBB Eases

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Residents bike along Jl. Pajajaran in Bogor on Friday (12/6/2020). Sporting activities in Bogor have begun to reemerge in a number of places as the area transitions out of large-scale social restrictions (PSBB).

The transition out of Jakarta’s large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) provides more space for physical activities. Priority has been given to pedestrians and cyclists on roads to prevent crowds and keep safe physical distances.

Jakarta Gubernatorial Regulation No. 51/2020 on the PSBB transitional period towards a healthy, safe and productive society stipulates that the regional administration will gradually restore normalcy.

Learning institutions are beginning reopen. Life will return in stages to houses of worship, offices, public facilities and venues for social and cultural events. Gradually, people’s lives will return to normal.

Read also: In Search of Fresh Air at City Parks

During the transition phase, many activities, such as office work, may not be carried out at 100 percent. Not all institutions, offices and businesses will allow all of their respective employees to come in at the same time. Regulations only allow 50 percent of employees to be present in offices on any given work day.

Private vehicles, including cars and motorcycles, are regulated under an odd-even scheme on certain roads.

Similarly, houses of worship, social and cultural hubs and public transportation may only operate at half capacity. Private vehicles, including cars and motorcycles, are regulated under an odd-even scheme on certain roads.

The aim is clear: to limit people’s mobility. In addition to this restriction, people are required to follow health protocols, at least in wearing masks and keeping a distance of one meter between one another.

The conditions will certainly affect people’s behavior. Mobility patterns are among the most likely to change. In Greater Jakarta, a COVID-19 epicenter in Indonesia, people will be extremely careful while doing activities outdoors.

It is not impossible that some may prefer using private vehicles and will either avoid or reduce the use of public transportation for a while.

The Jakarta governor has announced that pedestrians and cyclists will be prioritized on roads. People in Greater Jakarta are urged to be physically active to boost their health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commuters

Greater Jakarta is full of commuters, a term that refers to people working or going to school or university outside of the regency or municipality where they live. These commuters routinely travel between their homes and offices or schools.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Heavy traffic creeps along the inner city toll road and Jl. Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta on Friday (12/6/2020) at 5:45 p.m. In the first week of the transition out of large-scale social restrictions (PSBB), citizen mobility increased as social and economic activities resumed.

Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data on Greater Jakarta commuters shows that the region had 3.26 million commuters in 2019. In their daily travel, 63 percent, or 2 million, of these commuters use motorcycles.

About 20 percent, or 663,000, use public transportation, while 9 percent, or about 288,000, use cars. Commuters using ride-hailing services, including cars and motorcycles, amount to 127,000 every day.

The smallest percentage of commuters are cyclists and walkers, of which there are only 40,000 – approximately 32,000 walkers and 7,600 cyclists.

As the transition out of PSBB begins in Jakarta, commuters will face limitations on the use of public transportation. Despite shifts in office days, it is entirely possible that commuters will create crowds.

This is possible in places such as bus stops, terminals and train stations. Furthermore, health protocols such as fever screening and physical distancing in waiting rooms are being imposed in these places.

Such conditions could lead to an increase in the use of private vehicles. Despite efforts to minimize traffic jams with the odd-even scheme for both cars and motorcycles, a surge of private vehicles remains a possibility. Traffic jams of cars avoiding the odd-even scheme on smaller, alternative roads, are also a possibility.

There is also the potential for an increased use of ride-hailing services. During the PSBB transition phase, such services on cars and motorcycles are free to transport passengers.

The regulation may have a positive impact on ride-hailing companies. However, the exclusion of ride-hailing services from the odd-even scheme will give people alternatives for mobility in the ongoing effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. Jakarta Gubernatorial Regulation No. 51/2020 has been created, in essence, to limit people’s mobility during the PSBB transition phase.

Cycling and walking

Data shows that people’s mobility on public transportation is not bad, about 20 percent. Unfortunately, only 1 percent of commuters walk or use bicycles.

This is despite a considerable number of commuters living near their offices and schools. There are around 862,000 people living within 10 kilometers of their offices or schools.

Such a distance is entirely doable on a bicycle or even on foot. This merely illustrates the extremely low level of walking and cycling among commuters. Only around 39,000 do these activities regularly.

New normal provisions will encourage people, especially commuters, to try out cycling and walking to their schools or offices.

This way, commuters are only required to keep physical distance and adhere to health protocols while cycling or walking.

Out of all modes of mobility, cycling and walking give the most freedom to commuters during the PSBB transition phase in Greater Jakarta. This way, commuters are only required to keep physical distance and adhere to health protocols while cycling or walking.

There is no odd-even scheme and no need for commuters to have their temperature checked, queue for empty seats on public transportation with reduced capacity or adhere to health and other protocols.

In 2019, the Jakarta administration established about 63 kilometers of cycling lanes throughout the city. At least 25 kilometers of such lanes are on roads observing the odd-even scheme.

Kompas/Bahana Patria Gupta

The cyclists passed officers who carried out an adherent campaign to the Covid-19 health protocol on Jalan Pahlawan, Sidoarjo Regency, East Java, Monday (6/15/2020). In the campaign the joint officer advised residents to remain in compliance with the health protocol.

So, infrastructure support exists for cycling, which may encourage higher interest in the activity. The plan is to make the 63 kilometers of cycling lanes permanent with a minimum width of 1.25 meters. In the future, cycling to offices or schools will be safer and more comfortable.

This effort by the Jakarta administration merits appreciation. This will benefit not only Jakartans but also commuters from outside the city.

If most commuters with a travel distance of less than 10 kilometers rely on cycling or walking, there will be several collective benefits for all. In addition to reducing air pollution, cycling and walking are activities that can boost immunity to diseases.

In terms of health protocols, cycling and walking are good as they avoid crowds and close contact between commuters. The more commuters rely on walking and cycling with full adherence to health protocols, the higher probability we will have to curb the spread of COVID-19. Let us walk or use bicycles to mark the beginning of this new normal. (KOMPAS R&D)