Expert says Jakarta suitable for subway
Expert says Jakarta suitable for subway
JAKARTA (JP): The construction of a subway in Jakarta is
technically feasible, a Japanese expert has said.
Misao Sugawara, a technical advisor at the Japanese Railway
Board, said he saw no technical constraints to building a subway
system in Jakarta, Antara reported on Monday.
The Tokyo University professor, a technical expert hired by
the city administration to consult on the planned Blok M-Kota
subway project, said the city's land structure is conducive for
the construction of a subway, despite the fact that some areas
have water sources and that the city is situated near the sea.
He said that proper high-technology applications could
overcome the problems by shifting the course of the water sources
and constructing a waterproof underground tunnel.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the city's development board,
Budihardjo Sukmadi, who is also head of the subway project, said
Japan and Germany would fully support the construction of the
project, especially the technological aspects.
He said Japan is renowned in the world for its expertise in
building underground tunnels. "Even several European countries
have adopted Japanese technology in building such structures," he
told Antara in Tokyo.
When completed, the mass rapid transit system, the first of
its kind ever built in Indonesia, will link the 15-kilometer
stretch from Blok M to Kota with stops at 15 stations.
The city administration, with the private sector support of
domestic and international companies, is conducting a feasibility
study by sending its officials in charge to Japan, Britain and
Germany for comparative studies. The city administration hopes to
come up with a definite blueprint for the gigantic project by
September.
The subway is expected to cost US$1.5 billion, with the funds
coming from foreign loans and the city budget. The construction
is scheduled to commence in April 1997 and be completed in 2001.
Members of the subway project team, together with several city
councilors from Commission D for development and transportation
affairs, went to Japan on a working visit from March 2O to March
23. During the visit they attended a discussion on the operation
of subways in metropolitan Tokyo.
Vice Speaker of the Jakarta City Council Syamsul Supriyatna
said that Jakarta and its population of nearly 10 million people
will need a subway system if the capital's infamous bumper-to-
bumper traffic is ever to be alleviated. (bas/sur)