Jakarta Considers Weekend Car-Free Day, Proposes 3-Month Trial

The Provincial Government of DKI Jakarta is currently reviewing a proposal to implement a Car-Free Day (CFD) on both Saturdays and Sundays. The suggestion was put forward by M. Taufik Zoelkifli, the head of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) faction in the Jakarta DPRD (Regional Representative Council). Zoelkifli proposed that the policy be tested for a period of three months or two months before being permanently decided. He argued that the trial period would allow for an assessment of the benefits and dynamics on the ground, after which a decision could be made. "If implementing CFD on Saturdays and Sundays offers more benefits, then by all means, let's implement it. However, if the benefits are not significant, then there's no need to continue," Zoelkifli explained. Zoelkifli expressed optimism that the addition of CFD on Saturdays would improve air quality in Jakarta. He believes that having CFD for two days would provide a respite from exhaust fumes, allowing the air to "rest." "Yes, there will be benefits, the air will become cleaner for two days, Saturday and Sunday, because the number of days is increased, so the air is expected to rest for 2 days without being polluted by exhaust fumes," he stated. Furthermore, Zoelkifli pointed out that weekend CFDs could offer more opportunities for the public to exercise and for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to increase their sales. "Also, perhaps in those two days, Jakarta residents can exercise more, and MSME actors in Jakarta can be more active or sell more on those two days," he added. However, Zoelkifli also highlighted potential challenges in implementing CFD on Saturdays. He noted that many people still work or have activities on Saturdays, and some offices remain open, which could lead to traffic congestion. "However, there is another aspect, which is that if it's for two days, not everyone rests or stops working on Saturday. Some offices are still open, so there's a possibility of traffic disruption. This means that if there's a CFD, some roads will be closed," he revealed. He explained that the closure of certain road sections for CFD could disrupt traffic flow, leading to congestion on alternative routes. "If road sections are closed, people who want to work on Saturday cannot pass there, so there will be traffic jams elsewhere on alternative routes. Therefore, we must ensure that when we implement CFD on Saturdays or two days a week, we are not merely shifting air pollution from the CFD area to alternative roads," Zoelkifli cautioned. He emphasized the need for the provincial government to thoroughly consider these points and to select appropriate road segments for CFD on Saturdays and Sundays. Source: Detik