Jakarta City Council (DPRD) Commission A Member, Kevin Wu, said the selection of Jalan HR Rasuna Said as the venue for Jakarta's 499th anniversary celebration and the planned location for Car Free Day (CFD) was a positive step.

Kevin explained that Rasuna Said area strongly represents modern Jakarta as a center for diplomacy, business, transportation, offices, and public activity.

"If we are talking about Jakarta becoming a global city, this area is indeed one of its showcases," he asserted, Friday (5/8).

However, he warned that the global city concept should not become merely a ceremonial slogan without improvements in public services and urban governance.

"Rasuna Said should not be beautified for a one-day ceremonial event while residents still deal with long-standing issues such as traffic congestion, illegal parking, poor sidewalks, unorganized street vendors, garbage buildup, unintegrated public transportation, and inadequate public services," he said.

Kevin noted that the measure of a global city is not the scale of its events, but the level of order, cleanliness, safety, and comfort after the events end.

According to him, the Rasuna Said CFD has the potential to set a new standard for public spaces in Jakarta if it is managed consistently and based on residents' needs.

He expressed support for the planned Rasuna Said CFD, but urged the Jakarta Provincial Government to prepare a comprehensive traffic study, public transportation arrangements, official parking areas, street vendor control, sanitation systems, public toilets, health posts, security, emergency access, and facilities friendly to the elderly, children, and people with disabilities.

He also stressed the importance of coordination among regional agencies so it does not become a mere formality.

"There must be clear responsibilities, accountability, and evaluation mechanisms," Kevin added.

According to him, agencies including the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP), Transportation Agency, Environment Agency, Fire and Rescue Agency, Health Agency, Culture Agency, Tourism and Creative Economy Agency, Communication, Informatics and Statistics Agency, and regional administrations must operate under an integrated command system.

Kevin also suggested the Jakarta Provincial Government prepare integrated standard operating procedures (SOP) for the Rasuna Said CFD. He urged the government not to wait for problems to emerge before taking action.

"Before it is implemented regularly, there must be simulations, congestion-prone areas mapping, crowd-prone points, potential illegal parking spots, evacuation routes, vendor arrangements, and a real-time public complaint mechanism," he explained.

Kevin said the concept of a global city should not be defined merely by skyscrapers, international events, or grand ceremonies. A global city, he added, must provide residents with a sense of safety and comfort in their daily activities.

"Jakarta can be called a global city when residents can walk safely, use public transportation comfortably, exercise in public spaces in an orderly manner, and receive fast and humane public services," he emphasized.

He stressed that the Rasuna Said corridor should serve as a showcase for Jakarta's improved urban governance, not merely a venue for celebrations.

"Ceremonies can be festive, but improving public services and maintaining urban order are far more important," he added.