JAKARTA: The Jakarta administration’s plan to build several “love lock” bridges along a major thoroughfare in South Jakarta as part of a beautification project has sparked debate over whether the romantic installations will address the city’s infrastructure needs.
The idea was first raised by Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung, who said the bridges would be built over the Cideng River, which flows parallel to Jl. Rasuna Said, thus connecting the highway to Jl. Kuningan Persada in front of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) headquarters.
Inspired by similar attractions in Paris and Seoul, Pramono said the planned project was intended to provide a space for young people to express themselves.
“There will be three or four bridges built over the river,” Pramono told journalists on Saturday (July 4), as quoted by Antara.
“Those who have [romantic] partners will go there, fasten their [padlocks] and make the bridges colourful.”
Earlier on Thursday, special gubernatorial staffer Cyril Raoul “Chico” Hakim explained that the project was part of the administration’s effort to create a “romantic public space”. He added
“The design of the bridges prioritises modern aesthetics while remaining pedestrian-friendly,” Chico said on Thursday.
The city administration has allocated Rp 91 billion (US$5 million) to revitalise the 3.8-kilometre thoroughfare, one of Jakarta’s busiest streets, which includes renovating sidewalks and removing the unsightly concrete pillars left over from the long-abandoned monorail project of the early aughties.
According to Chico, the city budget will also finance the bridge project, although he said the final amount had yet to be determined because the project was in the budgeting stage and still awaiting a detailed engineering design.
The bridge installation plan has been met with skepticism from Jakartans and experts alike, in particular questions about whether it would address the urgent need for pedestrian infrastructure in the city.
Karlina, 27, an employee at an office in Mega Kuningan near the thoroughfare, said the bridges might have potential to be a novel attraction but expressed doubt that they would become a destination for young people, given that the area was a business district.
“I might stop by if I happen to pass the area, but I wouldn’t deliberately visit it in my free time,” she said on Friday.
If the city wanted to create a new hot spot for young people, Karlina suggested creating more free open spaces where people could gather. “Gen Zers love free places, especially if they are easy to reach by comfortable public transportation,” she said.
Urban planning expert Trubus Rahadiansyah argues the bridge will do little to improve mobility, calling it a “gimmick” that prioritises symbolism over functionality.
“The area is dominated by vehicular rather than pedestrian traffic, so it’s not an ideal location,” he said.
“It would be better to invest in infrastructure where people actually need it.” Trubus added that Jakarta authorities should prioritise projects with wider public benefits, such as safer level crossings to prevent accidents like the one in April between a Commuter Line train and the Argo Bromo Anggrek intercity rail service in Bekasi, West Java, which left 16 people dead and injured at least 91 others.
The fatal collision was allegedly triggered by a separate incident in which a commuter train rammed an electric vehicle that became stuck at a level crossing.
According to Trubus, many railway crossings in the city lacked safety infrastructure such as gates.
“Bridges and proper gates at railway crossings have long been an urgent necessity. They are far more important than infrastructure built primarily for aesthetic purposes,” he said.
Kevin Wu, a Jakarta councillor who hails from the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), has called for a transparent review of the love lock bridge project, emphasising that the city budget should prioritise residents’ basic needs such as accessible sidewalks, safer pedestrian bridges and public green spaces.
“Residents across West, East and North Jakarta deserve equitable development. We should avoid creating the impression that iconic projects take precedence over basic public needs,” he said on Wednesday, as quoted by Kompas.com. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
