Busway system, a no-rush project for Jakarta: Experts<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Experts warned the city administration on Thursday not to rush
\ninto implementing the new transportation busway system, which was
\nscheduled to start in December, linking Blok M, South Jakarta,
\nand downtown Kota, West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Heru Sutomo of Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta revealed
\nthat implementation of the busway project needed proper
\npreparation as the system was completely new to the public here.<\/p>\n
\"At least, the system needs one year of preparation to ensure
\nthat the public is well informed, and to improve other routes
\nthat will support the project. Otherwise, the implementation of
\nthe new system will end in chaos,\" said Heru.<\/p>\n
Heru, who is also director of Gadjah Mada's Center for
\nTransportation and Logistics Studies, said his study center had
\nrecommended that the city administration implement the new system
\nlater next year.<\/p>\n
\"Then, after two years of operation, the busway system should
\nbe evaluated. It will work effectively after seven years (of
\noperation),\" Heru asserted.<\/p>\n
Abdul Alim Salam of the Indonesian Association of Planners
\nconcurred with Heru, criticizing the city administration for its
\npoor planning of the new system.<\/p>\n
\"The group targeted in the pilot project is still uncertain --
\nwhether public bus users or private car owners,\" said Abdul.<\/p>\n
Abdul said that the project would prove to be ineffective in
\novercoming traffic congestion if its target was people in the
\nlow-income bracket as they would still choose the cheapest means
\nof transportation, such as regular buses.<\/p>\n
\"Besides, the roads are used mostly by private cars,\" Abdul
\nadded. Private cars owners won't be interested in using the buses
\nshould the other supporting systems not be ready,\" Abdul said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, head of the City Transportation Agency Rustam
\nEffendy revealed that his agency would modify existing routes to
\nsupport the new system.<\/p>\n
\"There will be new routes to support the busway project,\"
\nRustam said without further elaboration.<\/p>\n
Rustam said his agency was determined to implement the busway
\nproject this year in a bid to improve the city's transportation
\nsystem.<\/p>\n
\"There should be no further delay. What we need is to get on
\nwith the project, otherwise, we'll never start it,\" Rustam said.<\/p>\n
Rustam also revealed that the same project would be
\nimplemented to serve the route from Rawamangun, East Jakarta, to
\nHotel Indonesia traffic circle, Central Jakarta, next year.<\/p>\n
Rustam earlier said that the project would worsen traffic jams
\nalong the roads due to be used by the new buses, though he
\nclaimed that the situation would not last long as the situation
\nwould force private car owners to use the busway and in turn
\nlessen the jams.<\/p>\n
\"Owners of private cars delayed by traffic jams are expected
\nto take the new buses when they realize that they will travel
\nfast along their special lanes,\" Rustam said.<\/p>\n
The new bus system will cost Rp 54 billion, using 60 air-
\nconditioned buses. They will serve the 12.9-kilometer route from
\nBlok M, South Jakarta, to Kota, West Jakarta, passing along Jl.
\nSisingamangaraja, Jl. Sudirman, Jl. Thamrin, Jl. Merdeka Barat,
\nJl. Gajah Mada and Jl. Hayam Wuruk.<\/p>\n
The 60 buses, each with a capacity of 54 seats, will ply the
\nroute with a headway of two minutes to six minutes.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/busway-system-a-no-rush-project-for-jakarta-experts-1447893297",
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