Biking in Bandung

Photo caption: Bikers enjoying their Sunday morning ride on Jalan Ir. H. Djuanda or Jalan Dado at the weekly event of Dago Car-Free Day when a section of the street is blocked from motorized vehicles from 6 to 10 a.m. to allow the citizens to enjoy this scenic part of their city in leisurely walk and other activities.

Biking or bicycling is increasingly becoming a popular activity among Bandung citizens. Despite this, Bandung is not a biker-friendly city. On a normal working day, it is nearly impossible for bikers to ride safely and comfortably on its streets. Traffic congestion, high level of pollution, and ruthless motorists are sure threats to their safety and comfort.

In recent years, there have been attempts to improve the condition and make the city friendlier to bikers. In 2010, the municipal government initiated a pilot project to designate and blue paint 8 kilometers of the city's existing streets for bicycle path. The project, which cost the city IDR 5 billion (approximately USD 500,000) became an embarrassment because the paint was of low quality and did not last long. Bikers were reluctant to use it because many undisciplined motorists stress-passed it and posed threat to their safety. The motorists are not to be blamed either. There is simply not enough street to motorist ratio in the city. Congestion forced them to 'invade' the biker-designated path.

Upon the initiative Ridwan Kamil of Bandung Creative City Forum (BCCF), the government also planned to have rent-bicycle pools established in strategic places throughout the city to encourage more people (citizens as well as visitors) to use bicyle. This plan, which was first implemented in September 2011 with 500 bicycles donated by private sponsors, had seemed to be going nowhere either. It is unclear what the current status of the project is.

I think it would take more than just piecemeal and patchwork projects like these to turn Bandung into a biker-friendly city. Bandung's transportation problem is much too systemic to be solved in in piecemeal fashion like these.

Flying Bicycles

Flying bicycles at Alun-alun Cimahi (Cimahi City Square) park.

Cimahi is a municipality of about 600,000 population located about 12 kilometers to the west of the city of Bandung. It is one of the independent administrative areas that form the Greater Bandung Area(Bandung Raya) -- Other areas being Kota Bandung (Bandung Municipality), Kabupaten Bandung (Bandung Regency), and Kabupaten Bandung Barat (West Bandung Regency).

Bicycle Market

Looking at this photo, you might think that this place is a bicycle parking area. No, it isn't. It's a road-side bicycle market. Located at Jalan ABC (ABC Street) at Banceuy in the center of the city, the open air market sells all sorts of bicycles: new, used, and reconditioned. If you know how to ask, you can even find old vintage bicycles. As in any traditional markets here, prices are negotiable and are usually less expensive that those at regular bicycle shops.

Bicycle Parking

A newly designated bicycle parking at Paris van Java.

Biking is Good

In color or black and white, biking is good and getting more popular. Unfortunately, this city hasn't got a dedicated bicycle lane yet. Perhaps it's about time the government start thinking about building one.

PS.
Just after I published this post, I was informed by several friends of mine that Bandung did have a dedicated bicycle lane. In fact, it has just been dedicated. They, however, already complained that the lane was not sterile and safe, i.e. cars still use it and some are even parked on it without any penalty.

Bike To Work Indonesia

I found this bicyle with a logo of Bike to Work Indonesia at the basement parking of my office at The Faculty of Language and Arts Education of the Indonesia University of Education, Bandung sometime ago.

Bike to Work Indonesia or Komunitas Pekerja Bersepeda Indonesia (Indonesian Bike-to-Work Community) began with a group of mountain bikers who was concerned with the increasing number of motor vehicles and the deterioration of air quality in Jakarta.

To popularize the idea of biking to work, the group organized their first campaign to bike to work on August 6, 2004. The campaign was quite successful that the idea attracted quite a significant and growing number of followers. About a year later, on August 27, 2005, they officially declared the movement and organization. The organization's goal is to campaign for the use of bicycles as an alternative mode of transportation for the day to day activities.

Up until 2008, the organization claimed that it had more than 5,000 registered members in 23 chapters throughout Indonesia.

CDPB Theme Day and Monochrome Maniacs: Sepeda Onthel

This month's City Daily Photo Blog (CDBP) theme is "circles or spheres," and this is my interpretation of it.

"Sepeda onthel" or old bicycles have their own aficionados and they are on the increase. There are quite a number of old bicycle clubs in Bandung. They often have convoys, tours, or exhibition rides around the city and the countrysides. The owners of these old bicycles love them very much and are very proud of them.

I took this picture at Jalan Braga (street) in one of the exhibition rides they had recently.

This post is Bandung Daily Photo's participation for this month's CDPB theme. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

This post is also Bandung Daily Photo's participation in the weekly meme "Monochrome Maniacs".