City 'should learn from mistakes' in terminal project

JAKARTA (JP): The City Council speaker M.H. Ritonga warned the city not to repeat the mistake it made with the Kampung Rambutan terminal when it constructs the Rp 110 billion (US$45.3 million) Pulogebang terminal in East Jakarta.

Ritonga was referring yesterday to the terminal that partially collapsed days after former governor Wiyogo Atmodarminto opened it in 1992.

The Pulogebang terminal construction is to start in July and should be ready in 1999.

It will replace the existing Pulogadung terminal.

"The municipality should learn from its experience and carefully supervise the project," Ritonga said after a council plenary session on the city's autonomy.

"This is not only because of the huge investment, but in the public's interest," Ritonga said.

Ritonga asked the new terminal's developer, PT Rodial Eron, to consider all possible impact on the public, such as traffic congestion around the new terminal.

"Don't just move traffic congestion to the new terminal," Ritonga said.

The Kampung Rambutan terminal damage caused an uproar.

Officials were accused of collusion with the developer and some of them were replaced.

The scandal and the change of officials are two reasons for the project's six-year delay.

Rodial Eron's planned investment cost soared from Rp 7 billion to Rp 110.6 billion in the meantime.

The lengthy procedures to get permits are blamed.

The developer also had to revise the 7.1-hectare terminal design.

Rodial Eron estimates it will earn Rp 52.9 billion from its right to manage the new three-story terminal for 30 years, as agreed with the city.

The City's assets in the Pulogadung terminal are estimated at Rp 38.5 billion.

The developer said the city still had to pay Rp 19.2 billion.

This is the difference between the Rp 110.6 investment, the expected 30 year gain of Rp 52.9 million and the value of the current terminal.

Romulus Sihombing of Commission D for development affairs, said he did not understand why the investment figure had increased so much.

He said the municipality should not pay the Rp 19.2 billion.

"As far as I know, in a barter deal the city should not have to pay anything," Romulus said.

This was because the city's assets were already worth a lot to the developer, he said.

In the deal the city gets 3.5 hectares of the Pulogadung terminal turned into a commercial area.

Romulus said council members should be told if there was a change in the deal, including in the amount of investment.

"It's not the municipality's fault that the terminal's construction was delayed for more than six years.

If investment increased because of the delay, this should be covered by the developer itself," the member of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) faction said.

Pulogadung usually caters to about 40,000 passengers a day. It managed 80,000 a day last Idul Fitri.

The new Pulogebang will accommodate 11,000 passengers in its waiting room alone.

It is planned to be the first terminal without ticket brokers because it will only allow passengers to enter the departure or arrival platforms.

It will accommodate 11,363 city buses and 1,504 intercity buses a day. (ste)