By Edward Birt, president of the Illawarra Bicycle Users Group & Bicycle Mayor of Wollongong
“Was it much more dangerous than Australia?” asked a friend, one of many people to enquire about the road safety of riding a bicycle in Indonesia. Having just competed in the “Bentang Jawa” a 1,500km unsupported cycling race across Java, I can report back that Indonesia feels much safer for cycling than Australia. Why? There are a number of key reasons.
Slower speeds and smaller vehicles
In towns across Java people are moving more slowly with 30 to 50km/h perfectly adequate. While narrow, the streets are very lively – it’s where it all happens, with people walking, riding bicycles (often very slowly), doing business selling things off their scooters, chatting, stopping and starting, pushing carts. All of this means that scooters, cars and trucks need to take care and are used to doing so. Also vehicles are smaller on the whole with very few monster trucks and a distinct preference for scooters.
Driving to conditions (not speed limits)
In Indonesia there are very few posted speed limit signs. This implies; drive responsibly and to the conditions! Australians interpret speed limits as speed requirements, expecting that everyone should be driving right on the speed limit and getting cranky if anyone is driving even a few kilometres per hour slower. This attitude creates a hazard for cyclists and pedestrians.
Going with the flow
In Indonesia there is an organic flow of traffic moving to adapt to the conditions and less obsession with orderly queueing like we have here. This is a good way to ensure the most efficient movement of people with the smallest vehicles, like grains of sand, slipping through small cracks to keep the flow if there is a break down, road works or other obstruction while larger vehicles also wiggling through as best they can and this is acceptable and functional.
Assertive communication
Flashing lights and beeping horns are not sounds of aggression and fury as we tend to associate them here in Australia but rather they mean “hey I’m coming through”, “here I am” and signal intent and presence. There is a lot more eye contact and gesturing and people can see one another as most people are on scooters and not inside vehicles.
Riding my bicycle home from Sydney airport it was all on again with drivers honking at me to get off the road and several close passing. Unfortunately, in Australia many drivers give no quarter to slower vehicles, hence the need for costly separated infrastructure here as it’s just far too dangerous to ride on most roads.
I can thoroughly recommend cycling in Java and Bali and I believe we need more of the Indonesian attitude of sharing and making allowances for others on the roads - it is a more communal, caring and sharing approach, conducive to a healthy society where any citizen can confidently venture outside and access their community.
Links and info: Bentang Jawa race: Bentang Jawa – Unsupported ultra cycling race and self-navigation across Java Island.
Eddie B’s Bentang Jawa adventures on YouTube: Eddie B’s Bentang Jawa 2024 Adventures - YouTube
