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.