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)