Fast train conclusions

On Friday, Oct. 14, a CNN report about a Japanese office clerk was aired on Indonesian TV. The clerk lives in Sendai, northeast of Tokyo, and commutes on the famous Shinkan sen train which travels 250 kilometers per hour. The report announced that it takes three hours for the office clerk to travel one way, so I conclude that the distance between Sendai and Tokyo is approximately 750 km.

The distance is almost equal to the distance between Jakarta and Surabaya. It is unthinkable -- at least at present -- for an Indonesian office worker to commute daily from Surabaya to Jakarta.

This illustrates how important a well organized transportation system is for a country's economy. Let's hope that in a few years such a phenomenon is not unthinkable.

A. DJUANA

Jakarta