Call for integrated transport in Bogor

BOGOR (JP): A transportation consultant has suggested that Bogor have an integrated road and railway service linking it with surrounding areas in West Java.

Purnomosidi, speaking at a seminar on transportation in Bogor Thursday, said improvement was needed because of the traffic conditions in areas bordering Jakarta.

In these areas where commuting dominated traffic, he cited traffic jams around intersections, the condition of entrances and exits around housing areas, and plans such as the new town in Jonggol.

Transportation systems in Bogor should take into account that the area has four different areas, he said.

These include the Bogor township itself; the area's buffer zone with Jakarta, its rural areas and areas bordering other sites in West Java.

Among several new facilities, "Bogor should also have elevated railways and subways," Purnomosidi said.

As many as 100 participants, all government officials, joined the seminar which was held in Cibinong.

He also said alternative toll roads were needed to link Bekasi, Cibinong to Tangerang, and another one linking Bogor, Parung Panjang and Serpong.

Currently, the Bogor and Depok train routes have 74 trains departing from eight stations. From Bogor, an average 30,000 passengers travel daily.

Purnomosidi cited studies which said in 1994, 125,902 people traveled daily from the west to east parts around Bogor.

He estimated if there were an elevated railway or subway in 12 more years, or in 2009, 81 percent of 281,231 people could be accommodated.

Routes

The state-owned railway company Perum Perumka said passengers on Greater Jakarta routes accounted for only 270,000 people compared to an estimated five million commuters.

In April, additional trains will include an electric train running the Jakarta-Serpong route, the spokesman, Bambang Walujodjati said, Antara reported Wednesday.

The new facility would be among a new set of trains received by Perumka each month from the train factory, INKA, in Madiun, East Java.

Bambang said Perumka had ordered 25 train sets or 100 cars from INKA last September.

He added when completed, apart from the Jakarta-Serpong route, 70 percent would operate through Jakarta-Depok-Bogor, and 30 percent would travel the Jakarta-Bekasi route.

Greater Jakarta now has 226 train departures; 42 for Jakarta- Depok, 97 for Bogor-Jakarta; 31 for Jakarta-Serpong, 48 for Jakarta-Bekasi and 10 for Jakarta-Tangerang.

Meanwhile the Director General of Land Transport Santo Budiono said Greater Jakarta trains were running on losses of Rp 17 billion per year.

"Perumka is subsidizing third class passengers at Rp 175 passengers per day," Santo said.

Other losses include 50 smashed windows a day, he said, caused by students throwing stones at other students.

So far income from Greater Jakarta routes stand at Rp 3.5 billion per month, Santo said. (24/anr)