Government has no plan to increase toll

Government has no plan to increase toll

JAKARTA (JP): The government has yet to consider the
possibility of increasing the toll on the Cawang-Tanjung Priok-
Ancol Timur-Priok urban highways, according to a minister.

Minister of Public Works Radinal Moochtar said that the
government was instead concentrating on the completion of the
highway network in the city to support the Indonesian Airshow
scheduled for June, Antara reported yesterday.

"The government has yet to debate whether to increase the
toll," he said.

Last week, the spokesman for PT Citra Marga Nusaphala Persada,
Iwan Hilman, said that the company might propose a 20% increase
on the Cawang-Priok segment, which was built and is being managed
by his company.

The existing tolls are Rp 2,500 for sedans and jeeps, Rp 3,500
for larger vehicles like buses and trucks, and Rp 4,500 for very
large vehicles like articulated trucks.

Hilman said the proposal was reasonable as another 6.8 km toll
road segment from Ancol Timur to Jembatan Tiga (Pluit) is
scheduled to be operable in June. This means that the existing
Tanjung Priok-Ancol Timur urban turnpike (harbor road) will be
extended to 13.13 kms.

"Constructing a new segment means more investment and a better
service," Hilman said.

The company has invested a total of Rp 676 billion for the
13.13 km harbor road projects, Antara reported.

Hilman did not go into the details of the proposal, but said
that it would be officially submitted to the government soon.

Minister Radinal said that the longer the highway, the more
money that could be invested. "But to increase the toll would
need serious and careful consideration. The toll must be
affordable to the public," he said.

The government has just increased the toll for Tomang-Cawang-
Tanjung Priok-Ancol Timur.

The state highway corporation announced in mid October last
year that charges for the Tomang-Cawang-Tanjung Priok-Ancol Timur
toll road would be raised by between 13 and 25 percent.

The new fee for small vehicles, such as sedans and jeeps
(Class I), is Rp 2,500, Rp 500 more than the old tariff. The fee
for large vehicles (Class IIA) is Rp 3,500, also an increase of
Rp 500, while the new toll for very large vehicle (Class IIB) is
Rp 4,500.

The decision, which triggered a public outcry, was made after
the 6.4 km segment from Tanjung Priok to Ancol was constructed by
PT Citra Marga Nusaphala Persada.

The private company collects three quarters of the toll
revenues, while PT Jasa Marga gets the remaining quarter. (sur)