Busway project should be postponed: Activists<\/p>\n
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Activists from several non-governmental organizations (NGOs),
\na councillor and a police official who recently attended a
\ntransportation workshop in Bogota, Colombia, recommended on
\nMonday that the city's controversial busway project should be
\npostponed due to poor preparation.<\/p>\n
The demand for the postponement was announced in a press
\nconference at the conclusion of the workshop which was attended
\nby Azas Tigor Nainggolan of the Jakarta Residents Forum, Tulus
\nAbadi of the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) and Jack
\nSumabrata of the Pelangi, an NGO focused on environmental issues.<\/p>\n
The press conference was also attended by Sr. Comr. Endro
\nAgung, the head of the traffic division at the National Police
\nheadquarters and councillor Julianson Purba of the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle.<\/p>\n
"We urged the administration to redesign the concept of the
\nbusway project. The project should be placed within an integrated
\ncity system," Tigor said.<\/p>\n
He revealed that a similar busway project in Bogota was
\nrunning quite well, because it was properly planned with the
\ninvolvement of public in arranging the concept of the project.<\/p>\n
He said the busway system was just one part of an integrated
\ntransportation system in Bogota which also encourages and enables
\nnon-motorized vehicle traffic, such as bicycle paths and
\nconvenient pedestrian walkways.<\/p>\n
"The development of the busway project should not be just an
\nisolated part, it should be part an entire organized system,"
\nTigor recommended.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Tulus of YLKI said the city's partially completed
\nbusway project would just create more transportation problems if
\nnot done properly.<\/p>\n
"The project will not be a solution to the city's
\ntransportation problem. It will create new problems," Tulus said.<\/p>\n
He added that the project would add to the city's traffic
\ncongestion if it was forcibly applied without repairing other
\nparts of the transportation system.<\/p>\n
Although he agreed with the postponement, councillor Julianson
\nPurba still hoped that the busway project could be applied in the
\ncity.<\/p>\n
"I hope the project can become a reality in the city and
\nbecome part of the solution to the city's transportation
\nproblems," Julianson said.<\/p>\n
The city allocated Rp 85 billion (US$9.4 million) this year
\nfor the project and has spent Rp 2.7 billion for several signs, a
\nfew bus shelters and the painting of red lanes.<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso earlier said the Rp 85 billion would not be
\nused, but returned to the city budget if the project were
\npostponed for further study and public dissemination.<\/p>\n
The project, which was designed by transportation "experts"
\nfrom Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University in 2000, will use
\nthe fast lane along Jl. MH. Thamrin and Jl. Jend. Sudirman, the
\ncity's main thoroughfares in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The city earlier planned to try out two buses: a Japanese-made
\nHino and a German-made Mercedes, to run on the route last month,
\nbut that too was postponed because the planners forgot about
\nmaking the proper modifications to the buses.<\/p>\n
According to the project design, it needs at least 50 air-
\nconditioned buses to serve the route.<\/p>\n
Passengers for the buses would be obliged to buy a ticket
\nwhich costs about Rp 2,500 a trip.<\/p>\n
Bus companies here earlier expressed strong opposition to the
\nproject, saying that it would reduce their income, by taking away
\ntheir monopoly.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/busway-project-should-be-postponed-activists-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}