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Cyclists Gear Up for Bike2Work Day
Ulma Haryanto | September 24, 2011

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When it first launched six years ago, Bike2Work Indonesia had a mere 150 members who all wanted to promote the same thing: pedal power.

Today, the biking community can claim much responsibility for a surge in cycling throughout Jakarta and across the country. With branches in 23 cities, Bike2Work is now Indonesia’s largest commuter cycling group, with more than 50,000 members nationwide.

To celebrate the organization’s sixth anniversary on Friday, hundreds of cyclists rode from the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta to Senayan, continuing on to the Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs building.

Bike2Work Day was also celebrated outside the capital. In Jepara, Central Java, for example, members gave donations and water to the poor. In Solo, they distributed free bicycles while the city’s mayor, Joko Widodo, joined the convoy. And in Sukabumi, West Java, they held a free bicycle workshop for small traders and underprivileged children.

Bike2Work founder Toto Sugito said the campaign aims to demonstrate that cycling is a “pollution-free and traffic jam-free” form of transportation.

“Let’s show that Jakarta’s traffic can be less congested if people are willing to ride bikes,” he said.

In addition to organizing events for cyclists, Bike2Work has worked tirelessly to improve biking conditions in Jakarta and the rest of the country, in part by advocating for more bike lanes.

Ivana Lie, a special staffer to the sports ministry, said the ministry supported Bike2Work’s activities. “We made the yard in front of the ministry’s building their meeting point, but whatever their activities are, the ministry is behind them,” she said.

Ivana welcomed Bike2Work’s campaign as “a lifestyle for modern people who have environmental and health concerns.”

“Cycling has many perks,” she said. “It reduces emissions, it’s healthy and it saves money.”

Ivana said Youth and Sports Affairs Minister Andi Mallarangeng supported more city bike lanes. “Cyclists are growing in number and the need for bike lanes has to be accommodated by regional governments,” she said.

The community’s celebrations continue on to the weekend.

“We also have another event this Sunday, still in the ministry office,” said Bike2Work spokesman Alfa Febrianto.

“We’re going to have a rally. Cyclists have to find clues hidden in different posts based on a route card.”