Proposed fares for three-tiered system queried<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) is
\nopposed to the proposed fares and toll for the railway and
\ntollway announced by the company which will construct a three-
\nlevel transit system from Bintaro, South Jakarta, to Kota
\ndowntown.<\/p>\n
The foundation vice chairman, Agus Pambagio, said yesterday
\nthe fare and toll proposals could be reviewed.<\/p>\n
"Judging from the proposals, Rp 1,800 (74 U.S. cents) for the
\nlight rail transit and between Rp 6,500 and Rp 10,000 for the
\ntollway, the facilities would be expensive for users. The
\ngovernment could make the fare and toll smaller by helping the
\ncompany with land appropriation funds," Agus said.<\/p>\n
Agus said the foundation was concerned more about the light
\nrail transit fare as most of the passengers were expected to be
\nof the middle-to-lower class group.<\/p>\n
The fare for an AC express bus is also Rp 1,800 per passenger
\nper trip.<\/p>\n
"Land appropriation becomes more costly due to the involvement
\nof mediators, including government officials and speculators,"
\nAgus told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The project owner does not usually not meet with property
\nowners and negotiate compensation directly, he said.<\/p>\n
"The company wants the money spent on land appropriation back
\nquickly by setting high fares," he said.<\/p>\n
PT Citramoda Margakencana Persada, the company which is to
\nconstruct the Rp 6.05 trillion ($2.49 billion) three-tier transit
\nsystem was set up Monday.<\/p>\n
The system, comprising a toll road, a railway and artery
\nroads, will stretch from Bintaro in South Jakarta to downtown
\nKota. The project is scheduled to start in December and to be
\ncompleted within four years.<\/p>\n
Of the total investment, Rp 3.85 trillion was for the
\nproject's construction, Rp 615.7 billion to secure land, and Rp
\n1.588 trillion to pay loan interest.<\/p>\n
Eighty percent of the company's shares belong to PT Citra
\nLamtoro Gung Persada, which is headed by President Soeharto's
\neldest daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana. Ten percent belongs to
\nstate-owned railway company Perumka and the remaining 10 percent
\nbelongs to state-owned highway corporation PT Jasa Marga.<\/p>\n
Most private car owners and public transportation users also
\nhave complained about the planned high fares and toll.<\/p>\n
A bus driver, who declined to be identified, said he just
\nlearned about the project from a newspaper yesterday.<\/p>\n
"I think buses and other public transport owners will refuse
\nto pay such a high toll. The rental we have to pay to the bus
\nowner everyday is not cheap," said the driver, who operates a bus
\nplying Kampung Rambutan-Kota route.<\/p>\n
Extra<\/p>\n
He said that drivers and bus owners might charge their
\npassengers extra. "If that happened, I think the passengers would
\nprotest," he said.<\/p>\n
An employee of a private company on Jl. Jend. Sudirman,
\nCentral Jakarta, also expressed an objection. "Besides the fares
\nand toll being too high, I'm not sure that the project will
\nreduce traffic problems," Ria said.<\/p>\n
She said the public would not object to paying the price if
\nthe project reduced traffic jams. "But, if traffic problems
\nlinger, the project would just be a waste," Ria said.<\/p>\n
She also lamented the plan to build the railway, "It would not
\nbe far too different from the current commuter train."<\/p>\n
Megi, an employee from the Ministry of Finance, said she would
\nprefer to use the railway than the toll road because it would be
\nmuch cheaper. She also said she expected the train would be
\ncomfortable and clean.<\/p>\n
Under the plan, the company will build 23.65 kilometers of
\ntoll road and 22 kilometers of railway between Bintaro and Kota,
\npassing through Kebayoran Lama and Blok M.<\/p>\n
The city also intends to construct a $1.5 billion subway. The
\n14.5 kilometer mass rapid transit system will connect Blok M in
\nSouth Jakarta and downtown Kota.<\/p>\n
Today, Bambang Trihatmodjo, one of President Soeharto's sons,
\nis scheduled to sign a memorandum of understanding on the subway
\nproject. (ste\/12)<\/p>",
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