Jakarta. The Jakarta provincial government has temporarily suspended the weekly Car-Free Day (CFD) program along Jalan HR Rasuna Said on Sunday as authorities work to address a number of operational and infrastructure issues identified during recent evaluations.

The event is scheduled to resume in June 2026 after follow-up improvements are completed, according to Jakarta Transportation Agency head Syafrin Liputo.

Syafrin said an evaluation conducted by the administration found that the car-free day program on the HR Rasuna Said corridor had provided benefits to residents by offering additional public space and recreational facilities.

“The car-free day on Jalan HR Rasuna Said adds an alternative space for exercise and public activities for residents,” Syafrin said in Jakarta on Saturday. “Air quality measurements around the location during the event were also recorded as better compared to regular working days.”

According to Syafrin, the new CFD corridor has also helped reduce crowd density in Jakarta’s main car-free day zone along the Sudirman–Thamrin corridor.

Data from the Jakarta Transportation Agency showed that visitor numbers at the provincial-level car-free day event on Jalan Jenderal Sudirman–MH Thamrin dropped from 29,256 people on May 3 to 13,759 people on May 10 — a decline of approximately 52.97%.

“This condition indicates that the HR Rasuna Said car-free day can help disperse crowd concentrations in the Sudirman–Thamrin area so that public activities are more evenly distributed,” he said.

Despite the positive assessment, the May 10 implementation still revealed several shortcomings requiring further improvements.

Among the issues identified were the absence of turnaround areas on the eastern and western sides of the corridor, incomplete installation of barriers separating Transjakarta bus lanes, and illegal parking in several locations.

Authorities also noted that the arrangement of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) needed improvement, as street vendors had expanded their activities onto roadways. Ongoing roadwork projects on alternative routes were also contributing to traffic congestion.

The Transportation Agency further reported uneven road surfaces following the dismantling of former monorail pillars and crowd accumulation around the Plaza Festival area. As a result, runners and cyclists were seen using Transjakarta bus lanes during the event.

Syafrin said all issues identified in the evaluation would be addressed by a cross-agency working team overseeing the car-free day program. The Jakarta administration is also preparing a legal framework to formally regulate the implementation of the HR Rasuna Said CFD corridor.

“Improvements to supporting facilities and the regulation of public activities will be carried out so that the implementation of the Rasuna Said car-free day can be safer, more comfortable, and more orderly,” he said.

The HR Rasuna Said car-free day program is expected to resume in June 2026 and will be held every Sunday from 5:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. local time. The Jakarta administration hopes the additional corridor will expand public access to urban open spaces for exercise and community interaction.

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