Below this preface are the opening two paragraphs of a news item in the UK Daily Telegraph, formerly a right wing, establishment (élite) broadsheet. Judging by the first paragraph and the many comments following the article, it is now a rabid republican rag.
Prince Charles, 62 (or is he 63?), who has two Jaguars, two Audis, a Range Rover and still drives an Aston Martin given to him by the Queen on his 21st birthday, said developers had a duty to put public transport and the pedestrian at the heart of their housing schemes.
Speaking about the “domination of the car over the pedestrian”, the future King said: “We must surely be able to organise ourselves... in ways in which we are not dependent on it to such a great extent for our daily needs."
This is plain common sense. A bus which takes the road space of two cars, assuming they keep minimal distance between them, can carry 60 or so passengers who would otherwise be seated in, say, 12 cars, 10 people carriers such as the ubiquitous Toyota Kijang or four over-crowded mikrolets.
In England it's mainly country lanes which don't have raised wheelchair user-friendly sidewalks. He therefore makes the assumption that space is provided for pedestrians.
I doubt that Jakarta's Governor Fuzzy Bodoh will read this or be alerted to the bonnie prince's speech, but if any of you have his ear, please extend to him an invitation to take a brief walk with me along virtually any jalan raya (main road) in Jakarta so he can (finally) learn at first hand what it means to be a Jakartan.
I don't have to invite Charles because he already understands.
