City to relocate Senen terminal
City to relocate Senen terminal
JAKARTA (JP): The Planet Senen youth center in Central Jakarta
will soon be demolished to make way for a new bus terminal which
will replace an existing one nearby, mayor Andi S. Abdullah said
on Thursday.
Andi said the relocation of the bus terminal was necessary to
reduce traffic in the bustling Senen area.
The area where the current bus terminal stands will be
converted into a business center, thus expanding the Pasar Senen
market complex.
"The new bus terminal, which will cost about Rp 100 billion
(about US$10.526 million) will have a similar design to the Blok
M bus terminal," said Andi after a plenary meeting at the City
Council.
The new terminal will be built on 2.3 hectares of land, which
includes 1.8 hectares of the Planet Senen compound. Andi said the
project will need nine months to complete.
"The new terminal will have two-levels. Passengers will board
and alight from buses on the upper floor, while the ground floor
will host the terminal's offices and vendors," he said.
The existing Senen bus terminal stands on a 900-square-meter
plot, 600 square meters of which is used for parking while the
remaining space is used for its offices and public facilities.
The terminal is designed to accommodate only 500 vehicles, but
some 1,100 buses and minivans operate in the terminal.
Besides unlicensed vendors, many beggars, car cleaners, street
musicians and vagrants also throng the terminal. Makeshift kiosks
are found on every sidewalk, while buskers mingle with
passengers. Pickpocketing is common here.
Senen is also one of busiest shopping areas in the city. It is
also a first stop for migrants before they settle down in the
capital as many of them who come to Jakarta by train, disembark
at the Senen railway station.
Andi said the Planet Senen youth center will be relocated to
Kemayoran because the current area was no longer favorable as a
place for youth to congregate.
Activities held at the youth center, which was opened in 1974,
include sport, theater, art, and social and political
discussions.
Mayor Andi said the construction project would begin soon as
the program had been planned since last year.
(07)