Inraini F. Syah
Once upon a time, there is a country with a vast territory. The country is rich with abundant source of biological and marine. What a pity, this country doesn't have sidewalks. No matter. People there are very happy people. They are kind, healthy and diligent. They are hard worker too. Everyday they walk in the rice field, rocky road, and ground path. Walking is a part that everyday they do, no tired and no complained. If they want to go with vehicles, they often use horse, cart, gig, or other traditional vehicles. No one need sidewalks. Width or small road is just for pedestrian. The pedestrian are free sauntering and trotting wherever they want.
Day by day, everything was changed. Development began touching this country. Foreign people started to come while native people began to travel to other places. Transportation suddenly became important. Traditional vehicles were no longer able to sustain of transport. People need something that can bring them more quickly. Thus, motor vehicles be the answer. The old street, rocky road, and ground path were no longer favored. People do not like their car or motorcycle is dirty or muddy. Accordingly, paved roads began to build, reaching out to the whole country even to the furthest corners. Need of development roads became inevitable. For the glory, the welfare, and the nation's intelligence, someone said.
Now this country seems different. People appear more advanced and stylish. The street in the country have also looked dashing. Flash like most of the people. Now they go everywhere using a motor vehicle. The street is now owned by the riders.
This country, that was speeding with their development, not unwary to what has been, is being, and will be done. The function of the road as a means to overall user, not only for motorists but also for pedestrians, is not considered. Almost no sidewalks everywhere. Wonder what is stated in their laws. Do not they accommodate the presence of sidewalks in the form of road construction requirements? Ah, really the nation that negligent!
The absence of sidewalks makes the country gradually faces serious problems. The road is no longer a safe place so that one by one the pedestrians decided to stop walking. People flocked to buy motor vehicles. Consequently streak like congestion, air pollution, and the need for increased the parking space. Various regulations were created to reduce the number of motor vehicle usage. Policy makers spent a lot of time, effort, and money to find the best solution to overcome the problems. Some leaders that thinking advanced see the importance of sidewalks for the community. They began to build sidewalks. But unfortunately, the most of the sidewalks exist only in the city center. What a pity, some are not representative. Mostly use for vend and partial use by motorcyclist in a moment of standstill. Ah!
Then, the pedestrian began looked strange to the most of the people. The people face will be furrowed if they see a person walking in front of them. They looked with their eyes said, "Hi, you don't have money to buy a motorcycle or at least to go with public transportation? These days somebody is still walking? How pity you are!"
Inevitably, all the facts make more the people in this country no longer using their feet to the actual function. To walk. Everywhere they use a vehicle wherever they go. For instance, to go to the building that just across the way in front of them, they use their motor vehicle. They are shy, lazy, and no longer accustomed to walking. Well, what's wrong with all this? Let them be a motor vehicle users, let walking be a rare and strange routine for them. So what?
The people in this un-sidewalks country, one by one, rich or poor, began attacked  variety of diseases. Heart attack, diabetes, stroke, cancer, obesity, osteoporosis, and other diseases which they classified into Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs). The number of patient with these disease is increased. They began to panic. Various efforts and health programs have been undertaken to curb it. Hospitals are built with the complete medical devices to help who are sick or at least to slow the death. Billions of money have been disbursed. But they also remain reluctant to walk. But sidewalks still not received attention. Their focus is more sucked in due, never discover what the root of the problem. Yes, please.
Gradually, NCDs problems are mounting. People began frantically. They do not have enough money for treatment. The poor helpless just waited for rations departure to another world while the rich began to liquidate their property to receive treatment. Unfortunately, NCDs can not be cured. NCDs need sustained high costs. Â NCDs force the nations to think hard for save the people.
Hence the name of humanity and responsibility, the health system assurance program was introduced. Again, by spending a lot of budget for the meeting, many argument days, so many considerations, tug interests, people in this country finally got the happy news. Hurray. Since at last with an insurance system, they are entitled to free treatment for many kinds of diseases including NCDs. They were happy. NCDs have guarantor. They do not bother with the cost of treatment of this dangerous disease, then why did they have to spin about sidewalks? Sidewalks, what it is, huh?
Assurance system is running smoothly? Sure hope so. Then what about construction of sidewalks? Also will receive full attention? Taken seriously? Can anyone think that a lot of problems in this country can be reduced with simple solutions such as building sidewalks? Didn't they have spending a lot billions of money to address the impact of the lack of sidewalks? So that people get used to walking again, understand why their God given legs to move to make their bodies intact reaches equilibrium. For they are healthy. For they are happy. Can anyone? *)
*) This is my first article in English. May be have some writing errors. I just hope the main idea is read by many people and some changes especially in availability of sidewalks can be done in my beloved nation. Thanks to read it :)
