Busway shelter construction still a work in progress
Busway shelter construction still a work in progress
Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Two workers rhythmically swing their hammers, smashing the
concrete steps of the west stairway of the bridge in front of
Bank Indonesia on Jl. MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta.
They need to demolish the stairs to make way for the west
ramp, part of the busway's bus stop infrastructure. The east
ramp, with a length of about 30 meters in total, already has
frames and handrails but the aluminum floor has yet to be
installed.
Workers were fixing the upper rail of the shelter's automatic
door on Friday. Parts of the prefabricated aluminum walls were
firmly attached to the iron frame.
The middle ramp was near completion with its silver paint
glittering from its side bars and its 1.8-meter wide floor.
However, it has no roof to protect busway users from the rain or
the burning sun of Jakarta.
It was just 20 days away from the busway's inauguration date
but none of the 11 bus stops along Jl. Sudirman and Jl. Thamrin
had been finished.
The busway stop infrastructure includes a shelter, a bridge, a
middle ramp connecting the bridge to the shelter, and west and
east ramps connecting the bridge to sidewalks.
Ramps are used instead of stairs at busway stops to make them
more handicapped-friendly. However, people in wheelchairs will
still need someone to push them up the ramp as the slope is too
steep for them to maneuver by themselves.
Most of the shelters are already finished, although some still
need painting. Much work still needs to be done on the side
ramps, since many have only frames.
It is not as if the workers have not been working hard enough.
They work not only during the daytime, but also in the cool of
the night. "Sometimes we work until 3 a.m. in the morning," said
one of them.
Atman, a laborer at the busway shelter in front of Sarinah on
Jl. Thamrin, said a similar thing. "We have been working in such
a rush that we had only one day off at Idul Fitri," he said. It
will take several more days to finish the shelter, he added.
Elevators are planned for the busway stop there instead of
side ramps. However, people will have to use the regular stairs
for some time as the elevators will only be installed once a
sponsor comes forth.
The controversial busway project will start operating on Jan.
15, even though many people have questioned its effectiveness in
reducing congestion in the capital.
To guarantee the success of the Rp 117 billion (US$13.76
million) project, the city administration on Wednesday extended
the three-in-one policy, going from Blok M in South Jakarta to
Kota in West Jakarta from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7
p.m.
The administration also vows to rid the streets along the
busway corridor of vendors and illegally parked cars to provide
more space for motorists.
It is unclear if the administration will also banish beggars
from the sidewalks and bridges.
Encin, 54, said as she was sitting on the bridge in front of
Sarinah: "I'll just go beg somewhere else if they kick me out of
here."
She is supporting four grandchildren, aged between two and 11
years, who were left with her by her divorced son.