City digging deep for busways<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The ambitious idea of Governor Sutiyoso to provide the city with
\n12 more busway corridors by 2007, when his term comes to an end,
\nhas kept his subordinates busy finding funding sources.<\/p>\n
The City Planning Agency is now tasked with reevaluating the
\ncash-strapped budget to collect any penny available to finance
\nthe busway's fast-track scheme.<\/p>\n
\"We are also responsible for finding alternative financing
\nsources,\" a senior official with the agency, who asked to remain
\nanonymous, told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Public Works Agency head Fodly Misbach calculated that
\nthe project would require between Rp 2.5 trillion and Rp 3
\ntrillion in investment.<\/p>\n
\"The acceleration of the busway project will only be feasible
\nif private investors are involved. The administration would pay
\nthem back later in installments,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Jakarta's 2005 city budget hovers at Rp 14 trillion.<\/p>\n
The administration has allocated Rp 600 billion of its budget
\nfor establishing two busway corridors, which will connect
\nPulogadung in East Jakarta with Harmoni in Central Jakarta and
\nHarmoni with Kalideres in West Jakarta. Both corridors are slated
\nto become operational in October.<\/p>\n
The administration spent at least Rp 240 billion to build the
\nfirst busway corridor from Blok M in South Jakarta to Kota in
\nWest Jakarta early last year.<\/p>\n
A copy of a meeting schedule made available to the Post shows
\nthat several city agencies, coordinated by the Jakarta Urban
\nInfrastructure Development Office (ASP), are discussing the
\nacceleration program.<\/p>\n
According to the notes, ASP is also assigned to follow up the
\nadministration's plan to use compressed natural gas (CNG)-fueled
\nbusway buses.<\/p>\n
While the officials were trying to make ends meet, Deputy
\nGovernor Fauzi Bowo expressed skepticism that the program would
\nbe successful, highlighting the absence of a feeder system in the
\nexisting busway lines.<\/p>\n
\"The success of the busway project partly depends on the
\npresence of a feeder system, while there is a tendency on the
\npart of the Jakarta Transportation Agency to give so much
\nattention to building the main trunk and thereby neglecting the
\nestablishment of the feeder system,\" Fauzi, who holds a doctorate
\nin civil engineering from Kaiserlautern University of Germany,
\ntold the Post.<\/p>\n
\"We have to keep in mind that we will only squander our money
\nin a project doomed to failure,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Fauzi added that the administration would find it difficult to
\nprepare the fund for the project as well as to procure buses.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/city-digging-deep-for-busways-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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