Observers pessimistic on monorail project<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Urban observers have expressed pessimism on whether the planned
\nmonorail project will be able to address the city's chaotic
\ntransportation problems.<\/p>\n
However, they did not propose a genuine solution to the
\nproblem, either, other than criticizing that the project was not
\nwell prepared and the city had no integrated transportation plan.<\/p>\n
Marco Kusumawijaya, a city development strategy consultant,
\nsaid that because the city had no comprehensive transportation
\nconcept of its own, the administration could only adopt major
\nideas offered by investors.<\/p>\n
\"How can it resolve transportation problems if it only adopts
\nproposals from those with a vested financial interest?\" Marco
\nasked in a seminar to launch a book titled Jakarta Bukan untuk
\nOrang Miskin (Jakarta Not For the Poor) prepared by a team from
\nthe Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta).<\/p>\n
The seminar also featured Fakta chairman Azas Tigor
\nNainggolan, Muhamad Suhud of the International NGO Forum for
\nIndonesia Development (INFID) and an editor from The Jakarta
\nPost, Soeryo Winoto.<\/p>\n
According to Marco, many new ideas from the administration,
\nsuch as a bus rapid transit system, busway project, subway or
\nwater transportation, would not resolve the city's transportation
\nproblems as the ideas were not integrated, within a comprehensive
\nplan.<\/p>\n
\"There is no integration between one transportation mode and
\nthe others. They are all planned separately,\" said Marco, who
\nnominated himself as a candidate in the gubernatorial election
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
Similar comments came from Jack Sumabrata of green
\norganization, Pelangi, who said that it was not surprising if the
\ncity administration only bowed to the wishes of investors.<\/p>\n
Jack considered that development of the monorail project was
\nstill uncertain as the route had not been studied thoroughly.<\/p>\n
\"Ideally, the monorail route should be based on a concept that
\nhas been studied comprehensively, while investors would simply
\nbuild it,\" Jack told The Jakarta Post on a separate occasion.<\/p>\n
The monorail is proposed to be developed by Indonesia Transit
\nCentral (ITC), a consortium that comprises a Malaysian firm, M
\nTrans Holding and its local partners PT Adhi Karya, Global Profex
\nSynergy and Radiant Utama.<\/p>\n
The Malaysian firm will invest Rp 3.28 trillion (US$400
\nmillion) in the first stage of the project, including the
\nconstruction of stations. It plans to charge passengers an
\naverage of Rp 12,000 per trip.<\/p>\n
Initially, the project will link Bekasi in the east and
\nTangerang in the west, a distance of about 22.5 kilometers, via
\nvarious major arteries including Jl. Casablanca, which is
\nnotorious for its traffic jams.<\/p>\n
But later, the route may be revised as the investors also want
\nto serve the city center. Construction of the project is expected
\nto commence in December this year and be completed within the
\nfollowing two years.<\/p>\n
Besides planning a monorail, the administration has allocated
\nRp 117 billion to a busway project, due to be launched in
\nDecember this year.<\/p>\n
It has ordered 60 buses for the project, which will run the 15
\nkilometers from Blok M, South Jakarta, to Kota, West Jakarta.
\nPassengers will be charged Rp 3,000 per trip.<\/p>\n
Currently, the fares for air-conditioned and non air-
\nconditioned buses are Rp 1,000 to Rp 3,500 per trip.<\/p>",
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