Combating hearth with hearth: Jakarta police fight unlawful motorbike racing by staging authorized occasions

JAKARTA: The race observe was alive with the cheers of spectators and the ear splitting sound of revving engines as racers in closely modified scooters competed towards one another.

It had been drizzling all morning, leaving the asphalt observe considerably slippery. However 33-year-old Aden Lintar was undeterred as he rode throughout the end line and left his rivals within the mud.

Lintar is an skilled racer and he was very aware of the 500m stretch of the Jakarta road the place the occasion was held in late January, having raced there quite a few instances.

The one distinction was that this time, he was donning a correct racing go well with decked with logos of the corporate sponsoring him, as a substitute of a pair of worn out denims and a hoodie jacket. And in contrast to his earlier races, he didn’t have to fret about being caught by the police.

Up till just a few years in the past, Lintar used to race illegally on the streets of Jakarta and the encompassing suburbs. Since he was in seventh grade, he had been racing his bike for cash practically each weekend, typically at midnight to keep away from the authorities.

He stated he misplaced rely of the variety of instances he was arrested. “We knew that we have been breaking the legislation. We knew we have been (racing) illegally,” he advised CNA.

“Why unlawful racing exists is as a result of there aren’t any amenities,” Lintar defined, including that in his unlawful racing days, there have been hardly any locations and occasions the place motorbike fans like him might compete safely.

This text was initially revealed by channelnewsasia.com. Learn the authentic article right here.