City seeks damages from Jasa Marga<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The City Council asked state-owned PT Jasa Marga
\ntoll road operator on Tuesday to pay compensation to the Jakarta
\nadministration for damages caused by the presence of its toll
\nroads, particularly the elevated ones, in the capital.<\/p>\n
\"Several toll roads' drainage systems are leaking, so that
\nwhen rain falls water from the toll roads floods nearby roads,\"
\nchairman of the council's Commission D on Development Affairs,
\nSayogo Hendrosubroto, told reporters after a meeting with Jasa
\nMarga executives.<\/p>\n
He said several roads, including Jl. Yos Sudarso, Jl. D.I.
\nPanjaitan and Jl. Ahmad Yani, had been badly damaged due to the
\npresence of elevated toll roads in the area.<\/p>\n
\"The company must pay penalties because of the damages,\"
\nSayogo said.<\/p>\n
\"This request is also based on the 1999 Law No. 22 on Regional
\nAutonomy,\" he said, referring to the newly issued regulation
\nwhich gives greater autonomy to local authorities.<\/p>\n
During the meeting the council also proposed that the tariffs
\nfor Jakarta's toll roads be set by the city administration and
\ncouncil, instead of by the president.<\/p>\n
\"It doesn't need the president to make the decision because
\nthe city administration and council comprehend the residents'
\nsituation better,\" Sayogo said.<\/p>\n
He also said the council wanted tariff changes to be conducted
\nin an open and transparent way.<\/p>\n
\"It's our residents who have become the major users of the
\ntoll roads. So it is fair for us to set the tariff,\" he added.<\/p>\n
He and his colleagues also urged Jasa Marga to improve its
\nservice, Sayogo said.<\/p>\n
\"We asked Jasa Marga, for example, to provide better road
\nsigns, security, traffic information and towing services for the
\nusers,\" Sayogo said.<\/p>\n
\"We also want the company to regreen more toll roads.\"<\/p>\n
PT Jasa Marga, which recently proposed a rise in tariffs, has
\nbeen repeatedly blamed for its lack of service to motorists using
\nthe toll roads. Long lines of cars can be seen daily at the
\nentrance to toll roads in the capital. There have been seemingly
\nno efforts from the company to solve the long-standing problem.<\/p>\n
Another councilor Ali Imran Husein wanted the company to hand
\nover the operation of the capital's toll roads to the
\nadministration as soon as possible.<\/p>\n
\"The city administration, as the owner, could ask Jasa Marga
\nto operate the toll roads. It's simply like the existing system,
\nwhere the central government, as the owner, orders the company to
\nmanage the toll road,\" Ali said.<\/p>\n
In response, Jasa Marga's finance director Djadja Subagdja
\nsimply said it would be impossible at this time to hand over the
\noperation of toll roads to the city administration as requested.<\/p>\n
\"We have to wait for technical guidance from the central
\ngovernment on the matter,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Djadja said Jasa Marga operates 116 kilometers of toll roads
\nin Jakarta, some 20 percent of the total toll roads across the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
\"Jasa Marga contributes Rp 12 billion (US$ 1.7 million) in
\nland and building tax annually to the city administration, out of
\nthe city's total revenue of Rp 35 billion from land and building
\ntax,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The company recorded a net profit of Rp 100 billion by Sept.
\n31 this year, lower than last year's total profit of Rp 178
\nbillion, he said.<\/p>\n
\"The drop is mainly due to demonstrations staged by students
\nduring the year,\" Djaja said. (05)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/city-seeks-damages-from-jasa-marga-1447893297",
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