I can’t imagine not riding my bike to work,” Greg says as he snaps the clasp on his helmet and slides his anti-pollution mask into place. “And on the way back, the time on my bike allows me to unwind so that I’m refreshed by the time I reach home,” he continues, his voice muffled beneath the filter over his mouth.
These seem curious words from a guy who spends an hour a day commuting to and from work in Jakarta, Indonesia, a city brimming with more than six million motorcycles, three million private cars making 17 million trips a day, and 22,000 buses crammed onto less than 5,000 miles of road. A mega-tropolis with zero emission control standards, practically no enforcement of road rules, and few bicycle lanes.
Each work day, Jakarta’s population can swell to 18 million with an enormous influx of workers from surrounding areas. For around 10,000 commuters though, joining the Bike2Work program has given them a reason to smile. They are part of a miniscule minority who have decided to shun the combustible engine commute for one which improves their health, lightens traffic, reduces air pollution, frees up parking space and brings them closer to their community – oh, and they say it can be really fun too.
It all started in 2004 when a small group of mountain bikers decided to do something about the increasingly problematic traffic and pollution. With enough people going to work by bicycle, they reckoned, traffic could become manageable and the air safer to breathe. They could also save serious money by avoiding car repairs, fuel pump charges, toll fees, parking costs, police tickets and insurance premiums.
Franz, a doctor and Bike2Work enthusiast, recalls his initial observations, “I was afraid of buses and taxis, finding their habit of suddenly pulling over rather unpredictable. I had a feeling they didn’t give a damn about anything to the left of them and so I considered it too dangerous.”
After deciding to give it a try nonetheless, Franz noted that, “drivers here are patient and calm and don’t easily lose their nerve. I come from Germany, where traffic appears more orderly on the surface, but is infinitely more aggressive, dangerous and stressful for cyclists.”
This may be, but it’s still a city where cyclists face a daily barrage of potholed and poorly maintained roads, often covered in debris, flooded with overflowing canal water or littered with nails by unscrupulous motorcycle shops looking to fix flat tires.
During rush hour, streets become so packed with cars that drivers fight for mere inches of headway in an hour. This leaves precious little room for others to get through, sending motorcycles and bicyclists onto the sidewalks where they have to fight for space with pedestrians and food hawkers.
“At least you can pick up your bicycle and carry it if you really need to,” says Dani Dewanto, from Bike2Work’s Program and Technical team. “In a car, in gridlock, you have no options.”
Bike2Work became official in 2006 when they set up a website and started workshops. They assist new members in finding ways to avoid the choked major thoroughfares via backroads, shortcuts and routes threading through residential neighbourhoods. They even arrange meeting places so newbies can join other Bike2Workers headed in the same direction.
As the group’s popularity has grown, they have had the President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, ride with them; the Governor of Jakarta has promised them new bike lanes and they have watched bicycle sales grow to their highest levels in years. As Dani puts it, “Three years ago riding a bicycle was considered weird and it meant you had no money. Now it’s seen as cool.”
Some ride only once or twice a week while others live on their bicycles and they ride everything from ancient Dutch-era bicycles to the latest Specialized. The folding bicycle’s popularity is skyrocketing, while the mountain bike or hybrid remains the bike of choice. Almost all sport bright yellow Bike2Work buttons, patches or bicycle bumper stickers which proudly proclaim who they are. And who they are is a revolution. One of social change which aims to enlighten, to empower and to engage – one wheel at a time.
That said, it’s still largely an uphill task. The Governor says he will honour his promise only when there are one million cyclists on the road. Like many well-intentioned campaigns in Jakarta such as banning smoking in public places, enforced exhaust checks on all vehicles, and motorcycle helmet laws – they are often just blowing hot air.
Government spokesman Ahmad Sotar’s announcement demonstrated it best when he stated that south Jakarta city officials must cycle when conducting work-related business. “It is no excuse that they are too old and sick to cycle. That also means they are too old and sick to perform their duties, so they should be replaced.” The announcement was dutifully ignored.
Gail, a business communications writer from England is yet to be converted. She says: “I used to cycle to work back home, but not here. Cycling in Jakarta doesn’t interest me as there’s no beautiful scenery to enjoy and you can never relax. I equate cycling with peace and quiet.”
Now relegated to a taxi for two hours every day, commuting to an office just a few miles from home, she occasionally sees a Bike2Worker weave past. “I’m pleased to see a bicycle overtake me because he’s proving to all car users that the bicycle is the most efficient form of transportation on the road.”
Efficient they may be, but cyclists must play by the rules of the road. “The principal rule here is: fill the gap,” says Franz, “When there is one, accept and respect all others going for it. Whoever gets there first – even by a millimetre – will fill the gap; all others must now look for their own. In order to go with the flow, one has to learn the same degree of patience and tolerance, but in order to be predictable for others, one has to play by the rules.”
Other naysayers cite the lack of a shower at their workplace. Andy, a newly recruited member, advises riders wear thin, breathable clothing in that case, head to the office early before it gets too hot, and not to ride too fast. “You can wet a towel in the bathroom and wipe down in a stall, then follow it with a good dose of deodorant.”
On another Monday morning in Jakarta, Greg pulls up to a stoplight, sweating, but smiling. “I’ve lost a total of 10kg and I enjoy the recognition I get as ‘that guy who rides his bike to work’.” The light turns green and with a ring of his bell, Greg slips into the gap between stifled lanes of traffic.
For more information on the scheme check out www.b2w-indonesia.or.id
