Good coordination in Manggarai project urged

JAKARTA (JP): City councilor Djenny Suharso urged the Manggarai integrated terminal project's consortium to coordinate their plans with the city administration.

"Coordinating with the administration from the very beginning is a must in this project, so the administration can handle any problems that might arise," Djenny, deputy spokesman of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) faction, said yesterday.

He said land appropriation was the most critical problem in such a project. "If the administration is not involved in the plan, how can it explain what is happening to the people whose property is affected?" Djenny asked.

The consortium should also coordinate the construction of the terminal with other projects, such as the subway and triple-tier road projects. "This is very important to prevent traffic chaos during construction," Djenny said.

Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said yesterday the city did not know when the project would start.

"The project has the President's approval, but, it still needs further discussion," Surjadi said.

The head of the City's Development Planning Board said Thursday the reviewed urban spatial plan would include the Manggarai city and inter-city bus and train terminal project.

The head of the board, Budihardjo Soekmadi, said that all planned city projects, including the Manggarai Integrated Central Transportation Project, have been plotted in the 1997-2010 revised spatial plan.

The original plan for 1985 to 2005, designated Manggarai a bus terminal, a train station and residential site.

"In the revised spatial plan, Manggarai would become a primary center, supported by an integrated terminal," Budihardjo said.

The plan to change the old bus terminal into an integrated terminal, surrounded by a commercial center and apartments, sparked controversy after the head of the project's consortium, Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, with Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto exposed the plan in 1994 to President Soeharto.

Haryanto had said the small Manggarai bus terminal would be turned into a four-story station with 22 tracks, four underground express trains, inter-city buses, minibuses and taxis. Officials said the project would need 124 hectares.

At least 4,000 residents could be affected.

Current plans have the city moving inter-city terminals out of town.

On Wednesday Deputy Governor for Economic and Development Affairs Tb. M. Rais dismissed the importance of whether the project, initially estimated to cost Rp 285 million, would be in the new spatial plans.

"What more important is whether the plans consider the impact on the surroundings," Rais said.

He had questioned the impact of the necessary roads linking the inter-city terminal to surrounding residential sites.

On Wednesday Antara reported a member of the project's consortium saying its basic design was being revised.

The source, Hanafi Lauw, president director of PT Pembangunan Jaya, did not give details but said revision was needed because of high construction costs.

Last year Ciputra, Pembangunan Jaya's former director, said construction of the terminal and surrounding commercial buildings, could begin this year.

But Rais said the city had yet to get details about the plans.

Budihardjo, in charge of a team reviewing the 1985-2005 spatial plan, also could not say when the project would begin.

"It's still in process. I heard a new private investor was interested in the project."

Hanafi had said the Bethel Corporation from the United States was involved in the basic design.

But he declined to estimate construction costs. He said the project was "very complicated" as it was a transportation center near a residential site.

The consortium also includes PT Bandar Mardi Perkasa, PT Cahaya Cipta Adicemerlang, PT Citra Agratama Persada, PT Mitraguna Tribakti, PT Sekar Artha Sentosa and PT Suhamthabie.

Budihardjo said the revised spatial plan was expected to be completed around June.

"We still have to revise several sectors," Budihardjo said.

Another city plan to be included in the revised spatial plans is the 2,700-hectare reclamation project in North Jakarta.

Officials said the spatial plan needed review because it had not kept up with the growing needs of the capital. (ste)