Transportation: Pedestrian Rights
- Izzan Fathurrahman
- Jun 4, 2020
- 2 min read
Pedestrian rights are as important as civil rights. Pedestrian rights actually have been set on our constitution. It’s a part of the constitution, Article no. 28 I, about Human Rights. So it’s important for the government, and also for the entire society to obey and understand the rights of the pedestrian. It’s not only because it has been set as formal law, but basically, society is the pedestrian itself.
However, even it has been set on the constitution, but in Indonesia, ironically, pedestrian rights seem like something not important. Sometimes even the one who is actually the pedestrian itself and the one who is spending most of his / her daily activity by walking breaks the pedestrian rights. For example, the street vendors who spend most of their time by walking and can’t afford to buy a motorcycle, moreover a car, usually sell their goods or products on the sidewalk, which is functioned for the pedestrian. Pedestrian rights aren’t only ignored by the pedestrian itself, but also by the driver on the street. For instance, the motorcycle drivers often to use the sidewalk when they get stuck on the traffic jam. This phenomenon surely will endanger the pedestrian who walks on the sidewalk. While actually, that is the pedestrian rights to use it, to get a safety track of walking. But with the number of the motorcycle on it, that becomes more scary and dangerous.
Considering the importance of pedestrian rights, the responsibility should belong to the government to fill the pedestrian rights. The government should restrict its rules about pedestrian rights. They should give a penalty for the offender and don’t take any advantages for the infraction that has happened. For example, the government should seize the sellers who roll their goods or products on the sidewalk, not instead of letting them and collecting taxes.
Last but not least, the government should provide better infrastructure for the pedestrian. They should create a number of proper sidewalk with safety facility. They also must create a zebra cross or a crosswalk bridge for the crowded streets and dangerous for the pedestrian to cross. They shouldn’t let the people feel insecure and fear to cross the road just because there’s no decent facility. For example, Margonda Street in the front of "Kober or Es Pocong", Depok. That street is always crowded and full of vehicles. Most of them are speeding and there’s no zebra cross, moreover a cross bridge. There was a zebra cross on the past, but now it has been removed and the traffic lights haven’t been functioned. Now, without the safety facilities to cross, the government have left the people with fear and unsafe feeling.
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