Govt urged 'give priority to trains not toll roads'

Govt urged 'give priority to trains not toll roads'

JAKARTA (JP): The government should prioritize trains and
railways in its transportation policy instead of toll roads, a
seminar concluded yesterday.

But railways are too costly and unprofitable to investors,
compared to toll roads which yield faster and support the
automotive industry, the discussion on the transportation system
here revealed.

Speakers sociologist Sardjono Jatiman and environmentalist
Saut M. Lubis said better train services and supporting
facilities were the only way to discourage people from using
private cars. They asked why expensive projects were always
discussed while existing systems were neglected.

"If an outer ringroad can be built, why not an outer railway?"
said Sardjono. Sardjono and Saut questioned whether in the long
run it was really more expensive to build a railway than a toll
road.

A participant, consumer advocate Zumrotin K. Soesilo, said the
rapid growth of toll roads compared to railroads was because toll
roads could accommodate both the interests of the automotive
sector, and were (supposed to be) a solution for traffic jams.

Another speaker, Agus Sidharta from the Drassindo Group which
is building toll roads here, acknowledged the influence of the
automotive industry.

Also, he said, "Railways are too costly." Unlike toll roads,
he said, "you cannot build railways half way while raising more
money."

"Besides, train fares are more difficult to set (at a
relatively high level), while investors would have to pay back
loans with high interest," Agus, a specialist in transportation
engineering, said.

The discussion was held by the Indonesian Journalists
Association with the municipality and the State Ministry of
Environment.

This year and next year Jakarta is estimated to have 78.33
kilometers of toll roads. Jakarta has railroads leading to Depok,
Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi, which are mostly crowded.

A participant said another reason railways were not developed
was because the state-owned railway company Perumka ran at a big
loss before making a profit in 1994. Many passengers do not pay
tickets and conductors are few.

Zumrotin said the firm had begun to enjoy profits from its
first class inter-city trains.

"The Jakarta-Surabaya trains with fares of Rp 100,000
(US$41.46) are often full. This proves that people will use
trains and pay more if they feel comfortable and safe," Zumrotin
said.

Organizer and moderator Nasihin H. said latest city data
showed that 15.5 million people in Jakarta take trips with 2.78
million vehicles each day. He said 30 percent of 5,000 kilometers
of road space here could not be used because it was used for
traders, installation of pipes and cables, and illegal parking
space.

Saut further questioned whether the government was serious
about transportation problems as action was urgent.

"Two-stroke engined motorcycles obviously have very dirty
emissions, the government should just ban them," he said.
Unleaded fuel should also be made cheaper than gasoline. The
unleaded type, Super TT, is Rp 975 while Premix, for instance, is
Rp 925.

"By the year 2020 the lead level in our air will increase by
eight times," Saut said.

Yuswil of the city's public relations office also revealed
poor coordination between the city and the railway firm.

"For instance road bumps around railways are not the city's
responsibility but Perumka's," he said. (anr)