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.