Transportation needs quick reform: Experts<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
In addition to its energy conservation efforts, the government
\nshould take immediate steps to improve public transportation,
\nexperts say.<\/p>\n
\"The current power fiasco is the momentum the government must
\nuse to introduce to a comprehensive energy conservation policy,\"
\nIndonesian Transportation Society (MTI) president Bambang
\nSusantono said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
MTI suggested improvements to public transportation should be
\ncombined the introduction of electronic road pricing on main
\nthoroughfares such as Jl. Sudirman, Jl. Thamrin and Jl. Rasuna
\nSaid.<\/p>\n
According to Bambang, the combination of these policies would
\ncontribute to energy conservation because it would discourage
\npeople from using private vehicles.<\/p>\n
\"The combination of the two would cut fuel consumption for
\ntransportation by about 18 percent,\" Bambang told The Jakarta
\nPost.<\/p>\n
Jakarta accounts for 10.8 percent of the 59.6 million
\nkiloliters of fuel used nationwide each year.<\/p>\n
According to data from the City Transportation Agency, there
\nare 6.3 million private vehicles -- cars and motorcycles -- and
\nsome 330,000 public transportation vehicles in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Public transportation is used by some 55 percent of all people
\nwho work in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The chairman of the City Transportation Council, Soetanto
\nSoehodo, shared Bambang's view, saying the city administration
\nmust focus on developing public transportation.<\/p>\n
\"The government indulges private car users, developing
\ninfrastructure for them. It is time to give serious attention to
\npublic transportation,\" he told the Post.<\/p>\n
According to Soetanto, the massive traffic jams caused by this
\npolicy not only increased fuel consumption, but also caused other
\nserious problems, including cutting the productivity of Jakarta
\nworkers.<\/p>\n
\"The majority of Jakarta workers spend three hours to four
\nhours a day in traffic. This can only be fixed by improving
\npublic transportation,\" he said, adding that the busway was a
\nsignificant step forward in public transportation development.<\/p>\n
He said the city administration should continue with plans to
\ndevelop 15 busway corridors across the city, as well as feeder
\nlines.<\/p>\n
Soetanto said developing busway corridors was, for the time
\nbeing, the most feasible way to improve public transportation
\nbecause the city did not have the money to develop other forms of
\nmass public transportation like a subway.<\/p>\n
\"The amount of money it would cost to build a subway (from
\nMonas in Central Jakarta to Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta) would
\nbe equal to the amount of money needed to build 14 busway
\ncorridors.\"<\/p>\n
It has been estimated that it would cost US$767.66 million to
\nbuild a subway from Monas to Lebak Bulus.<\/p>",
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