Work on city's triple-tier transit system to start<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Construction on the triple-tier transit system
\nto link Bintaro in South Jakarta and Kota in West Jakarta is
\nscheduled to start next week, Governor Sutiyoso announced
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
\"We will start the project on Feb. 25 (Wednesday) and employ
\nworkers involved in the labor-intensive program,\" the governor
\nsaid during a ceremony at City Hall.<\/p>\n
The transit system is important as the city needs a better
\nmass transportation network to solve the traffic congestion
\nproblems, he said.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto's eldest daughter, Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana
\n-- who owns the diverse Citra Group which oversee the project --
\nsaid 500 workers would be involved in the first stage of
\nconstruction.<\/p>\n
\"We plan to develop the southern part of the project first,\"
\nshe said. \"As for the proposed budget, there will be some
\nadjustments made due to the depreciation of the rupiah,\" Siti
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
During the ceremony, Citra Group handed over Rp 2.4 billion in
\ndonations to help finance the labor-intensive program.<\/p>\n
Construction on the long awaited triple-tier transit system
\nproject has been delayed several times.<\/p>\n
In February last year, Bambang Soeroso, head of the Rp 6.2
\ntrillion project, said its construction was expected to start in
\nJune. In April, he announced the groundbreaking ceremony would be
\npostponed until late 1997.<\/p>\n
Last December, Bambang announced a new schedule, saying the
\nconstruction would be delayed for another two months because the
\ncompany faced difficulties finding workers ahead of the Idul
\nFitri holiday.<\/p>\n
\"We are currently calculating the total budget for this
\nproject. When we first arranged the budget, one U.S. dollar was
\nworth Rp 2,900. Now everything has changed. But we won't back
\naway from the planned construction.\"<\/p>\n
PT Citramoda Margakencana Persada -- a joint-venture company
\ncomprising Siti's PT Citra Lamtoro Gung Persada, the state
\nrailway company (Perumka) and state-owned highway corporation PT
\nJasa Marga -- is to develop the project.<\/p>\n
The system is expected to begin operation in 2001.<\/p>\n
Under the plan, the triple-tier system will consist of 23.65
\nkilometers of toll roads and 22km of light-rail tracks with 20
\nstops. There are to be four main stations -- Ulujami, Kebayoran
\nLama and Blok M, all in South Jakarta, and Kota -- and 16
\nsecondary ones.<\/p>\n
The light rail transit system, designed to have a 12,000-
\npassenger capacity per hour, will consist of two lines: a
\nBintaro-Kebayoran Lama-Kota route and a Bintaro-Kebayoran Lama-
\nBlok M-Kebayoran Lama-Kota route.<\/p>\n
\"We will start construction from Ulujami to Tanah Abang
\n(Central Jakarta). Our priority is to free the land along the
\nexisting railway tracks from Ulujami to Tanah Abang,\" Bambang
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He refused to provide details on the land compensation plan.<\/p>\n
\"Please, we are still calculating it. We haven't even started
\nthe land clearance. Wait for further details.\"<\/p>\n
The company had earlier proposed a Rp 1,800 fare for the
\nproject's light rail transit (LRT) system and a Rp 6,500 to Rp
\n10,000 fare for its toll roads. It also requested a concession
\nperiod of 50 years, excluding the four-year construction period.<\/p>\n
When asked about possible adjustments to the proposed tariffs,
\nBambang said yesterday that the company would try its best to
\nmaintain the LRT fare, which was set between Rp 1,800 and Rp
\n2,000.<\/p>\n
\"LRT is meant to be used by the people... so we want it to be
\nas affordable as possible for them. As for the toll road, we may
\nadjust it later, after discussing it with the related parties.<\/p>\n
\"We will also avoid the use of foreign loans, because they
\nwill only become a burden in this difficult monetary condition.\"
\n(edt)<\/p>",
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