City councilors oppose elevated railway project
City councilors oppose elevated railway project
JAKARTA (JP): City councilors are opposed to the development
of an elevated railway project, from South Jakarta to downtown
Kota, saying the plan is not included in the city plan.
Chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party faction, Lukman F.
Mokoginta, said the 1987-2005 transportation plan only mentions
roads, including toll roads, to be built in Jakarta, not an
elevated railway track.
The 18-kilometer Cinere-Kota railway project had no basic
laws, and will overlap with the planned subway project, he said.
Lukman said the planned subway project is based on a
Gubernatorial Decree and the reclamation of North Jakarta coastal
area is based on a Presidential Decree. "The two projects are
lawful."
He said the governor was not involved in the planning of the
US$800 million elevated railway project.
"The central government has made a mistake by not involving
the governor in the planning because the governor is the sole
administrator of Jakarta," he said.
Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto said on
Wednesday that PT Citra Lamtorogung, in cooperation with PT
Steady Safe, will start the project in April next year. The
project is scheduled for completion in 1998.
PT Citra Lamtorogung is controlled by Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana,
the eldest daughter of President Soeharto.
Haryanto said that the project was proposed by the company,
that's why there is no tender for the project.
The minister said the elevated railway project will be cheaper
than the 14.5-km subway project, which will connect Blok M, South
Jakarta, with the downtown Central Jakarta area.
Governor Surjadi said that the city administration has not yet
received a detailed plan of the project and urged the developer
to contact his office, to adjust it with the city planning.
Delay
"With the plan we can inform Jakartans the areas which will be
appropriated and start making public presentations, to avoid
problems such as compensation," he said.
He also urged the developer to give a fair sum of money as
compensation.
The deputy chairman of the United Development Party faction,
Saud Rachman, urged yesterday the developer and the Ministry of
Transportation to delay the project until detailed information is
submitted to the city administration.
"City administration will not arbitrarily develop the city.
Thorough studies must be made before a project starts, or else
the city will be ruined," Saud said.
He said the city administration, not the central government,
or contractor, must take responsibility for the negative impacts
caused by any project in the city.
Chairman of the council's commission D for development
affairs, Bandjar Marpaung, also urged the developer to discuss
the project with city administration.
Bandjar said that the discussion is important, to enable the
city administration to get details of the project, such as the
routes of the railway system. (yns)