[sustran] Re: Becak Attack Action Alert
Rajat Rastogi 98404302
rajatr at civil.iitb.ernet.in
Thu Nov 25 15:15:14 JST 1999
Hon. President Abdurrahman Wahid,
Governor Sutiyoso
Dear President Abdurrahman Wahid,
The world looks to your new Presidency with tremendous hope for a more
democratic, free, and environmentally friendly Indonesia.
We appreciate your long held concern for Indonesia's poor. However, we
are
greatly upset by your recent pronouncement calling for the continuation
of the
ban on cycle rickshaws, or becaks. While you have said that "the ban on
becak
operation in the city was indeed meant as a measure to eradicate
poverty," in
fact it has had the opposite effect, taking away jobs and assets from
thousands
of Jakarta's poor.
Furthermore, women in particular depend on the becak for short trips in
their
neighborhoods, and do not like the cost, noise, pollution, and
inconvenience of
the only alternatives available to them, the 'ojek', which is also
illegal, and
the 'bajaj', which is highly polluting and noisy. It is the general
consensus
of the international transportation planning community that becaks also
play a
particularly important role as a feeder system to the public
transportation
system.
While you no doubt feel that the cycle rickshaw is 'backward' and
associated
with 'exploitation,' interviews with cycle rickshaw drivers themselves
indicate that this work is preferable to them to other forms of
employment
available to them. Furthermore, far from being backward, there are now
cycle
rickshaws operating in over 50 major cities around the world, including
New
York City, Amsterdam, San Francisco, Prague, Krakow, Mexico City, and
Manila.
Most cities, including New York, are encouraging their use as a
pollution-mitigation measure.
Given that the UN recently found Jakarta one of the three most polluted
cities
in the world, we feel that forcing passengers to rely on alternative,
generally
highly polluting modes of transportation is ill-advised. Recently, air
pollution in Jakarta has gotten worse, as the bus fleets are aging due
to lack
of spare parts. Children in particular roblems of chronic respiratory
illness
and learning disabilities as a result of the toxic air emissions levels.
Given the severe air pollution and continued unemployment, we implore
you to
reverse your decision to begin the draconian enforcement of Bylaw
11/1988, and
instead hope you will urge the Jakarta City Council to repeal Bylaw
11/1988.
Sincerely
Rajat Rastogi
Research Scholar
Transportation Systems Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology
Powai, MUMBAI - 400 076, INDIA.
E Mail: rajatr at gemini.civil.iitb.ernet.in
Working Area: Non Motorised Modes promotion and integration for accessing
transit (Sub Urban Rail) in Mumbai.
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WALKING AND BICYCLING MAKES YOU ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY
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