City Hall won't widen Jl. M.H. Thamrin sidewalk
City Hall won't widen Jl. M.H. Thamrin sidewalk
JAKARTA (JP): The sidewalk along Jl. M.H. Thamrin will not be
widened by eight meters despite newspaper reports to the
contrary.
Prawoto S. Danoemihardjo, the assistant to the secretary of
development affairs, said Thursday the city was not planning to
widen the sidewalks or had it received such a plan.
On the newspaper reports, Prawoto said: "As far as I know, the
administration is planning to demolish fences separating high-
rise buildings along the city's main thoroughfares to create a
friendlier atmosphere among the buildings. Not to widen the
sidewalks on Jl. M.H. Thamrin by eight meters on each side.
"Whose idea is it? Where does the plan come from?" he asked.
He said it seemed impossible to widen the
three-to-three-and-a-half meter sidewalk on Jl. M.H. Thamrin to
eight meters.
"What would happen to the buildings, which stand close to the
street, such as the Bank Jaya building? It would be very
difficult to move it," Prawoto said.
Prawoto said the municipality was planning to demolish fences
between the buildings and walls between building compounds and
sidewalks to make walking there easier.
The Kompas daily was the first to mention the sidewalk-
widening plan on March 25. It reported that the widening of
sidewalks by eight meters and demolition of fences and walls
would start this year.
According to the daily, the widening of the sidewalks has
obsessed Governor Surjadi Soedirdja. An architect then told the
daily about his idea to support the governor's idea.
The report said that Central Jakarta Mayor Abdul Kahfi would
meet building owners by the end of March to explain the plan.
Reaction
Building owners say they have heard nothing from the city on
the plan.
The head of PT Sarinah Jaya's public division, Soetarto, said
his office had not yet received any information on the rumored
sidewalk-widening project or the plan to demolish fences.
Soetarto said it would be hard to widen the sidewalk because
of the existing underground utilities, such as electricity,
telephone cable ducts, gas and water pipes.
"There are many underground utilities under the sidewalk in
front of McDonald's restaurant," he said.
But he said that Sarinah accepted the plan to demolish fences
between building compounds, neighboring buildings and sidewalks.
"We have planted trees to separate our building from other
buildings," he said.
Satria Wira, the communication director at the Sari Pan
Pacific hotel on Jl. M.H. Thamrin, said the hotel had received no
official word on the plan.
"I know about the plan from newspapers. The plan was not
clear. Just wait and see if the municipality will go ahead with
it," Satria said.
He said the hotel would comply with the plan so long as it
appeared in written regulations.
"Our sidewalk is already wide. But, we would agree as long as
there was a clear arrangement on the building's rights, security
and maintenance," Satria said.
The city has started new sidewalk projects in less crowded
areas such as a new shopping area in Kuningan, South Jakarta, Jl.
Kyai Tapa, West Jakarta and Jl. Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta. The
sidewalks there have good bus stops, benches and lighting.
The deputy governor of economic and development affairs, Tb.M.
Rais, has confirmed that the city will not widen Jl. M.H.
Thamrin's sidewalks to eight meters.
"The current sidewalks are wide enough. We only plan to
demolish fences and walls. The main idea is to connect one
building with another," Rais said Tuesday.
"I hope the plan can start this year," Rais said. He refused
to say how much the project would cost. (ste)