Jakarta commuters to boat to work

Jakarta commuters to boat to work

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

If the Jakarta Administration's plan goes well, the capital may
see its first official river transportation on the West Flood
Canal next year from Manggarai, South Jakarta, to Karet, Central
Jakarta.

Head of analysis and evaluation Sylvira Ananda at the City
Communication Agency said on Tuesday that the project would
involve relevant city agencies as well as the Ministry of
Settlement and Regional Infrastructure.

"Governor Sutiyoso wanted the project to be completed this
year, but we need more time for feasibility studies," she said on
the sidelines of a seminar on public transportation.

She said an early study estimated 7,000 passengers per hour
would utilize river transportation during peak hours, but
declined to reveal the type of boats to be used, as they were
still being considered.

The City Public Works Agency, in cooperation with the
ministry, had already begun dredging and constructing concrete
structures along the banks of the West Flood Canal. The project
includes the construction of three river stations at Manggarai,
Jl. Sudirman (Dukuh Atas) and Karet, which are to be integrated
with the railway and busway system on Jl. Sudirman.

Sylvira said the proposed four-kilometer-long river route was
the first stage in a planned route to the north coast area.

Unlike Singapore, where rivers serve only as tourist
attractions, Jakarta hopes to integrate its rivers into the
transportation system as stipulated in Bylaw No. 12/2003 on
transportation.

Initially, the city had planned to focus its pilot project on
a section of the West Flood Canal stretching from Pasar Baru,
Central Jakarta, to Ancol, North Jakarta, but changed its mind
because of the low bridges along the route and inadequate water
volume.

Another existing plan is to construct a 23.5-kilometer river
transportation route on the East Flood Canal, which connects
eastern and northern Jakarta. However, financial constraints has
hampered the proposed Rp 4.12 trillion (US$503 million) project
from breaking ground.

Despite the preparatory studies, several transportation
analysts have already raised questions about the feasibility of
the river transportation system.

Their pessimism is based mainly on the condition of Jakarta's
rivers, which are shallow and function mostly as dumps for people
living along the riverbanks.

Sylvira, however, said the river transportation project was
expected to change the public's attitude toward rivers and stop
them from treating rivers as their private back- and front yards.