JP\/8\/Monorail2<\/p>\n
City monorail trains, new but not the aspirin<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
In the original plan Jakarta monorail trains were intended to
\nconnect Jakarta and its outlying areas of Bekasi in the east and
\nTangerang in the west, but the dedicated scheme was altered
\nbecause the Jakarta administration had to bow down to investors'
\nwishes.<\/p>\n
Urban analysts deplored the decision because construction of
\nthe monorails would not address properly transportation in the
\ncapital, one of many urban problems.<\/p>\n
In the agreed plan the trains are to serve only the two
\nbusiest areas in the capital where offices and shopping centers
\nare mostly to be found.<\/p>\n
The investors, PT Indonesian Transit Central (ITC) and its
\nMalaysian partner M. Trans Holdings, see the planned monorail as
\na lucrative business because the trains would attract large
\nnumbers of passengers, as the train stations would be integrated
\nwith other public transportation modes like buses and
\nconventional trains.<\/p>\n
Investors claimed the original scheme, which connected Jakarta
\nwith the outlying areas of Bekasi and Tangerang, was economically
\nunfeasible.<\/p>\n
Marco Kusumawijaya, a noted urban planner, said the city
\nadministration should not have totally accommodated the wishes of
\nthe investors because it had to look to the public interest too.<\/p>\n
If there is still time, the administration must ask for
\ninvestment in less crowded areas so that the monorail system can
\nexpand its coverage.<\/p>\n
"It's a kind of cross-subsidy. Profits from lucrative
\nbusinesses can be used to subsidize operational costs at less
\ncrowded areas. With such a mechanism, the monorail would serve
\nmore people," Marco told The Jakarta Post recently.<\/p>\n
Construction is planned to start in January and is expected to
\nbe completed within three years. One of the lines is expected to
\nbe finished before Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso leaves office in
\n2007.<\/p>\n
In the tender the investors injected some US$540 billion to
\nconstruct the project. The total distance of the two lines is 27
\nkilometers.<\/p>\n
The first line is the 14.8-kilometer circular line, named the
\n"green line." It will serve the capital's golden triangle area of
\nKuningan, Sudirman and Senayan.<\/p>\n
The "green line" will serve 16 stations. They are: Senayan
\nSports complex, Plaza Senayan, Jakarta Convention Center, Taman
\nRia Senayan, the House of Representatives\/People's Consultative
\nAssembly building, Pejompongan, Karet, Sudirman, Setiabudi,
\nKuningan, Taman Rasuna, Casablanca, Gran Melia, Satria Mandala
\nMuseum, Jakarta Police Headquarters and the Jakarta Stock
\nExchange as the coverage area.<\/p>\n
Second is the 12.2-kilometer "blue line" connecting Kampung
\nMelayu in the eastern part of Jakarta and Roxy in the west.<\/p>\n
This line will serve 13 stations: Kampung Melayu bus terminal,
\nTebet, Saharjo, Menteng Dalam, Casablanca, Ambassador, Dharmala
\nSakti, Menara Batavia, Karet, Kebon Kacang, Tanah Abang, Cideng
\nand Roxy.<\/p>\n
In Kampung Melayu, the monorail station will have an
\ninterchange with the crowded bus terminal. Monorail trains there
\nwill enjoy feeder services from large, medium and small-size
\nbuses connecting the area with various locations in the city.<\/p>\n
At Tebet, the monorail will be integrated with a conventional
\nrailway station, with trains that run to Bogor and Kota.<\/p>\n
At Sudirman or Duku Atas station, the monorail will be fed
\nwith passengers from the bus rapid transit (BRT) system and
\ncommuter trains coming from Serpong and Bekasi.<\/p>\n
Nearly all the other monorail stations will be located in busy
\narea of Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The monorail and BRT, popularly known as the busway, are two
\nprojects that have been put to tender by Sutiyoso to overcome the
\nchaotic traffic problems in the city. The projects are believed
\nto be the answer to the increasing number of private cars that
\nare blamed for the worsening traffic congestion.<\/p>\n
The plan to construct a monorail system in the city was no
\nless controversial than the previous BRT plan. City councillors
\nand local activists gave a cold shoulder to the BRT plan as they
\nquestioned its effectiveness in addressing Jakarta's severe
\ntraffic congestion.<\/p>\n
"How will middle-class people, who own private cars, be
\npersuaded to use the busway if there is no reliable public
\ntransport from the area close to their homes?" asked chairman of
\nthe Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta) Aza Tigor Nainggolan.<\/p>\n
Unlike the BRT the planned monorail received less criticism
\nbecause the "footprint" of the monorail will not occupy existing
\nroads. The rails will be elevated, but will the system really be
\naspirin for the city's traffic headache, for the trains will
\noperate within a limited area.<\/p>",
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