Arrange Jabodetabek Megaurban Area to be More Humane

13 September 2011
Source : Investor Daily
Keyword : Infrastructure Policy

JAKARTA - Indonesian Vision 2033 (Visi Indonesia 2033) Team has urged the government to arrange the Greater Jakarta (Jabodetabek) megaurban area to become a more humane city in providing service to its citizens. A similar matter must also be implemented in other major cities in Java Island, including Bandung.

The recommendation was brought forth in relation to the mounting accident figure during the homecoming period of the 1432 H Eid (Lebaran) season in a discussion themed, ‘Mass Death rite of Homecoming Travellers who have Become the Victims of Development Paradigm and the Requirement to Arrange Indonesia’ in Warung Daun, Cikini, Central Jakarta, on Sunday (11 September).

The discussion presented Visi 2033 Team, which consists of Andrinof A Chaniago and Jehansyah Siregar, as well as the Chairperson of Study Agency of Association of Indonesian Army Retirees (PPAD), Lieutenant General (Ret) Kiki Syahnakri.

During this year’s Lebaran, homecoming (mudik) travellers on motorcycles dominate the accident figure with 4,071 cases. This figure is much higher compared to last year’s 1,616 cases. Police HQ recorded that the accident figure reached 4,071 cases with 682 dead.

Visi Indonesia 2033 Team said that the basic factor causing the mass accidents during the homecoming season is the glaring imbalance of regional attraction between Jakarta and its surroundings (Jabodetabek) and the other regions in both Java and outside Java.

“The imbalance causes the tendency of population shift toward higher urbanisation level, namely, Jabodetabek area,” Andrinof A Chaniago, the team coordinator, said.

“The lack of attention to development in villages makes people migrate to cities. We must build new cities with adequate standards for public interests instead of business interests,” Andrinof said.

Therefore, the team suggested that the central government accelerate development in villages in both Java and outside Java, particularly by reviving the non-agricultural sector and post-harvest economy.

Homecoming ManagementMeanwhile, Jehansyah added that, mass homecoming activity in every Lebaran is inevitable since it is part of human rights to go back home to where they have come from.

“It ends up causing a major problem after the government fails to perform an adequate and humane transportation management,” Jehansyah, who is also an expert of urban planning from ITB, said.

According to Jehansyah, there are many motorcycles involved in the homecoming activities since they have difficulties in obtaining public transportation facilities for themselves and their motorcycles.

Previously, observer of transportation affairs, Darmaningtyas, stated that high accident rate during the homecoming period is caused by the high number of motorcycles used and road infrastructures that are far from perfect.

According to her, this proves that the government has failed to manage homecoming transportation; it has been proved that many regular economy-class buses were, in fact, lacking passenger. “If only my suggestion to Commission V of the House of Representatives that the government should provide subsidy for Lebaran transport was taken, probably, the casualties could have been suppressed,” said Tyas, who is also the executive director of the Institute of Transportation Studies (Instran). (ban)

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