Bus terminals will have improved public facilities

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration has set aside Rp 32.2 billion (about US$3.38 million) this year to improve public facilities at its bus terminals.

Head of the terminal office of the City Traffic and Land Transport Agency, Nurseruan Adil said over the weekend, that part of the budget would be used to re-surface the roads with concrete and renovate shelters in the terminals.

"The project will also include decorating the access road to the terminals, and supplying more benches and garbage cans, and also installing more traffic signs," said Nurseruan.

The budget to improve facilities at the 26,700 square-meter Kampung Rambutan bus terminal in East Jakarta is Rp 7.3 billion, for the 8,000 square-meter Pulogadung bus terminal in East Jakarta, Rp 2.5 billion while for the 9,800 square-meter Lebak Bulus bus terminal in South Jakarta, Rp 2.6 billion.

Nurseruan said the 1,740 square-meter Klender bus terminal in East Jakarta would need Rp 800 million, while Senen bus terminal in Central Jakarta Rp 500 million.

He said about half of the entire budget would be allocated for preparing land for construction to replace the overcrowded Pulogadung bus terminal in East Jakarta.

There are two proposed plots of land that could accommodate the new bus terminal. The first one measures 7.8 hectares, while the other one, owned by PT Perumnas, is 10 hectares. Both are located in Pulogebang in East Jakarta.

He also admitted that crime rates and traffic congestion were a problem at the bus terminals. Crime rates are high, where holdups and robberies are a common occurrences and street vendors that crowd the area contribute to traffic congestion.

"Coordination between the city authority and the public is needed to deal with such problems," he said. (07)