Perilous Walk

A shopper walking on Cihampelas street, oblivious to the danger she was in.

Jalan Cihampelas (Cihampelas Street) is a popular and important tourist destination in Bandung for its shopping attractions. Ironically, however, this street has no pedestrian walk. Worse still, the city's government does not seem to care and has not done much to improve the situation. Pedestrians are left to their own defense when it comes to their safety. It's very embarrassing.

Braving The Street

With the sidewalk packed with street vendors, pedestrians on Jalan Purnawarman (Purnawarman Street) are forced to brave the street and the traffic to get their way. This scene is not uncommon in commercial streets in Bandung. In fact, the sidewalks and pedestrian safety do not seem to be the priority in the city's government development policy. Many sidewalks are either too small/narrow, in disrepair, or have become dysfunctional because they have been invaded by street vendors or used as illegal parking space.

I wish the city's government would soon do something about it and make pedestrian safety a priority. A walkable city would definitely be beneficial to the tourism industry that the city is trying to boost.