Jakarta gets in gear with bike-sharing trial
134 views · Published 2 December 2018 · 4:06 · Indexed 4 October 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(26 Nov 2018) LEADIN: Jakarta is getting in gear with its own bike-sharing trial. Transport experts hope shared bikes could provide a much-needed boost to the city's public transport system. But similar services have become a public nuisance in some other cities, cluttering public spaces and blocking sidewalks. STORYLINE: Jakarta's National Monument Park in the heart of the Indonesia capital is welcoming a new attraction - shared bikes. Since July 2018, visitors to the central city park have been able to access these shared bicycles. Around 100 bikes are available to hire for free during the trial period from seven stations dotted across the park. To use the service, visitors must install the Gowes smartphone app, which shows the position and availability of the bikes. They're unlocked by scanning a QR code on the bike using the app. The company behind the project started out developing digital maps, but ventured into bike-sharing following global hype. Dockless bike sharing, which was first seen in China, is now going global, with several companies bringing their bikes to towns. "We have seen bike-sharing trends in a number of countries and we believe that it has good potential," says Iwan Suryaputra, the director of Gowes. "Bike-sharing also makes use of digital maps and IoT technology, which is in line with the vision of our company." Besides the National Monument Park, Gowes also has about 50 bikes available in a major residential area just south of the capital. Gowes is also present on the tourist island of Bali and at a private university in the Indonesian city of Bandung. In Bali, Gowes teams up with 15 hotels and convenience stores to provide the service to tourists for about $ 0.70 USD per-hour. "Our primary goal is to provide first and last-mile transport, and tourism use is only an additional benefit," says Iwan Suryaputra. "We want to get people to use bikes, because they don't cause any air pollution and noise pollution. Riding bikes is also healthier and affordable." There are a number of obstacles to setting up a large-scale bike-sharing scheme in the Indonesian capital. The city doesn't have comprehensive bike lanes or adequate parking spaces for bikes. Nonetheless, the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, an international NGO that works closely with Jakarta authorities, has backed bike sharing since 2012. The institute argues bike sharing can change people's travel habits, from passive to active transportation. It also can boost the city's existing transport network. "The grand design of Jakarta's mass transportation has one missing link, which is first-mile connectivity," says Yoga Adiwinarto, country director at the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. "We can use bike-sharing to fill this role and unlock the full potential of the city's public transport." Similar services have become a public nuisance in some other cities, cluttering public spaces and blocking sidewalks. The National Monument Park's free trial period is expected to run till December this year. Gowes claims data it has collected shows there's been a positive public response to the project. In the park, there are about 400 to 1,500 bike trips per day, with higher numbers on weekends. On average, each bike is unlocked seven to thirteen times a day, making Jakarta on par with other major cities with bike-sharing services. "This is good because it can motivate people to stop using private vehicles and become healthier by riding a bike," says 30-year-old private employee, Yusef Adam. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/112a4c01686157d26563c7912bef003c
