Jakarta ready to support ambitious MRT project

Jakarta ready to support ambitious MRT project

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Jakarta administration said it would be ready to support the
plan to build the ambitious Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) rail
system as long as "the central government shows strong political
will to see the project materialize."

"The city administration has no problem in supporting the
project even in terms of finances," said the City Secretary
Ritola Tasmaya on Friday, responding to a statement by the
Ministry of Communications' Director General for Land
Transportation Iskandar Abubakar on Wednesday.

Ritola said earlier that the Japan Bank for International
Corporation (JBIC) may finance the construction of the Rp 4
trillion (around US$476 million) mega project under a 50-50
financial scheme.

A feasibility study of the project by the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) has apparently been completed.

The MRT system, which will span 15 kilometers from Jl.
Fatmawati in South Jakarta to Kota in West Jakarta, had been
planned since 1995 by a Japanese, European and Indonesian
consortium in 1995. On Nov. 18, 2002, Governor Sutiyoso said his
administration would establish an office with a Japanese
consortium to go through with a similar US$1.5 billion project.

The 1995 planned project was then postponed when the financial
crisis hit Indonesia in mid-1997.

The initial plan was for the MRT line to be built in two
stages. The first stage would connect Jl. Fatmawati to the
National Monument (Monas) park in Central Jakarta and will be
combined with an elevated track and a subway. The second stage
will start from Monas and end at Harmoni in Central Jakarta and
then terminate at Kota train station in West Jakarta. This
section will probably be underground.

When asked if the MRT would replace the newly launched busway,
which plies Blok M to Kota, Iskandar said "it is no problem".

"We can reroute the Busway's existing route to another planned
corridor... We can also disassemble the busway shelters because
they are completely knock-down," he said.

Sutiyoso admitted that he had received the letter sent by the
Iskandar's office inviting the administration to discuss the
financing of half of the project.

"But, I have not read the financing report. I will comment on
that later," he said.

Transportation experts have said that an MRT -- capable of
carrying 10,000 commuters per hour -- would be one of the best
solutions for the capital's acute traffic problems. The Busway
system currently can carry 2,500 per hour.