City plans to integrate utility networks

City plans to integrate utility networks

Bambang Nurbianto
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

The city administration plans to integrate utility networks in
the capital in an effort to help reduce the disruption caused by
excavation projects along the city's roads.

If the plan proceeds smoothly, all underground utility
networks, including telecommunications, multimedia, electricity,
gas, water and others, would be integrated into a special
channel, or conduit, which would be built by the city
administration.

Unfortunately, no details were forthcoming about the plan. The
city administration has yet to decide when it will start the
project and how much money should be spent on it.

The plan was revealed on Tuesday by Bambang Guritno, head of
the utility network division of the Jakarta Road and Utility
Network Information Agency. The agency itself officially came
into being in January.

The excavations have long annoyed Jakarta residents, including
President Megawati, as the works, which usually take a long time
to finish, often disturb both pedestrians and motorists, as well
as the environment. Earlier this year, she called for more
coordination in the implementation of such projects.

Bambang admitted the problems.

"As all institutions are allowed to open excavations for their
own utility networks, we can see that telecommunication
companies, the electricity company, water company and gas company
dig up the roads and pavements to install their own networks,"
Bambang said.

This was not only inefficient, but could also endanger the
public.

"You know a man was killed after falling into a hole in the
road," he said, referring to a recent incident.

Bambang, however, said that the plan to integrate the utility
networks could not be implemented in the near future as a
revision of City Bylaw No. 8/1999 on the installation of utility
networks would be needed.

The agency would organize a one-day workshop on Thursday to
seek input for the revision of the bylaw.

The revised bylaw would also regulate overground networks like
masts erected by telecommunications operators.

"If we do not regulate the erection of masts, Jakarta will be
full of masts which would blight the view of the capital," he
said.

Bambang, who has conducted comparative studies in several
countries, including France, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan and
Thailand, said that by integrating all the projects, the cost
could be reduced by up to 30 percent of the amount which would
have to be spent by companies if they installed their own utility
networks.