Mornings in Jakarta: Savoring Freedom

Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia. Like other cities around the world, it is lined with high-rise buildings. The defining feature of this city lies in its roads. Indonesia comprises over 13,000 islands and 34 provinces. Its population of 238 million encompasses hundreds of ethnic groups and languages. Such diverse people all converge on Jakarta and use the same roads. Inevitably, this creates the worst traffic congestion imaginable. No matter how much our country champions "unity in diversity," Jakarta's road conditions tear us apart. Everyone feels stressed and thinks only of themselves. This traffic congestion persists endlessly from morning to midnight on weekdays across all five regions of Jakarta.

There's one five-hour exception per week. Since May 2012, a law has been in effect barring cars from major roads on Sundays from 6 AM to 11 AM. During those hours, the roads come alive with runners, cyclists, soccer players, and inline skaters.

Everyone desires a healthier lifestyle. In that moment, a scene embodying democracy unfolds before our eyes. Age, interests, and class distinctions vanish. It feels as if we have reclaimed our roads.

After Mr. Jakowi defeated the incumbent in the September 2012 gubernatorial election, Jakarta's roads became a focal point. The new governor closed Tamrin Road to cars and held a concert, celebrating Jakarta's anniversary with its citizens.

He repeated the experiment during the Eid al-Fitr festival after Ramadan and on August 17th, Independence Day. The easiest way to understand a country's culture is to observe how its people behave on the streets.

On weekdays, Jakartans might seem mean, selfish, and unhappy. If so, it's simply because they're fed up with the worst traffic imaginable. But if you arrive on a Jakarta main road on a Sunday morning, you'll be surprised to see a completely different scene. You'll find cheerful, generous, happy people.

I believe these are the true citizens of Jakarta. So, if you ever have the chance to visit Jakarta, I urge you to experience the complete freedom from traffic congestion on Sunday mornings along Jalan Sudirman or Jalan Tamrin.

(Supervised by: Dentsu Inc. Aegis Network Business Bureau)