Govt to build more overpasses

TANGERANG: Tangerang regent Ismet Iskandar said his office will soon construct overpasses in Ciputat and Balaraja to ease heavy traffic, and that Rp 29 billion (US$3.4 million) from the regental budget had been earmarked for the project.

"We will also have additional funds from investors and Banten province ... part of the budget can be used to restore schools and for health services," he said as quoted by Tempo News Room.

The administration also plans to construct a ring road linking Cisauk-Serpong-Tigaraksa, which will provide easy access to regental capital Tigaraksa for residents in southern Tangerang.

It also plans to build a toll road running from Serpong to Balaraja, an alternative to the Karang Tengah toll road that connects Jakarta and Tangerang, which is usually heavily congested.

"The new toll road will provide direct access to Bogor. The Rp 90 billion construction will break ground this year," Ismet said. -- JP

;JP;BBY;Antara; ANPAj..r.. Great-ojek-theft Passenger snatches motorbike taxi JP/8/

Passenger fades with motorbike taxi

BEKASI: Friday the 13th was not a good day for motorcycle taxi, or ojek, driver Nurhasan, 42, whose motorcycle, which he uses daily to ply his trade, was allegedly stolen by a passenger named Didik.

Nurhasan said Didik asked that he be taken to a construction material shop on Jl. Raya Kali Malang, Jakasampurna subdistrict, Bekasi.

Didik asked Nurhasan to go in and make an order at the shop while he waited on the motorcycle parked 15 meters from the shop.

After 30 minutes, Nurhasan went back to tell Didik that he had placed the order, only to find both Didik and his Suzuki motorcycle, license plate number B 5117 HR, gone.

The case is being handled by Bekasi City Police. -- Antara