Carmakers asked to help finance city road projects
Carmakers asked to help finance city road projects
JAKARTA (JP): Car producers should participate in building
roads in an effort to overcome Jakarta's traffic problems, an
official said yesterday.
Head of the greater Jakarta area development cooperation,
Andjat Lamey, said that private companies should help the
government build facilities because the city administration's
budget does not completely cover such projects.
He said the government faces a myriad of problems and as its
funds are limited it should develop the areas considered most
important.
"The problem cannot be solved without a helping hand from
private companies, including carmakers," he said.
The companies can help speed up the development of roads in
the city through various ways, he added. "They have profited from
selling vehicles, why don't they set aside some of the profit for
road repairs?"
He said the chaotic traffic in the city has resulted from
private companies further developing established areas.
"The government should build facilities in those areas first
to accommodate development, and neglect other areas," he said.
For instance, he said, the city administration prioritized the
building of a flyover and an underpass on Jl. Jend. Sudirman to
accommodate the rapid growth of the area as the city's main
business center.
As a consequences the development of infrastructure in other
areas such as in Grogol, West Jakarta, and on Jl. Gunung Sahari,
Central Jakarta, were neglected.
"Flyovers or underpasses are also needed in those areas but
they have to wait because there are more important places," he
said, adding that traffic in the two places worsens daily.
A recent study shows that the number of people moving between
Blok M and Kota, through Jl. Jend. Sudirman, by various means of
transport during peak hours exceeds 32,000 per hour.
Andjat also said car companies would be the parties who
benefit from improved traffic conditions because people would
then not hesitate to buy new cars.
"I think people would not think twice about buying another car
if the traffic was better," he said.
The increase in the number of vehicles in the city reaches 14
percent per year compared to only 4 percent per day for road
growth.
The city administration has been trying to overcome the
traffic problems by building various facilities such as flyovers
and underpasses.
The municipality needs to build about 200 flyovers and
underpasses throughout the city. It also plans to provide a mass
rapid transit system. (yns)