Jakarta to have a new vehicle test center

JP/3/KIR/0

New vehicle test center coming soon

JAKARTA (JP): With the opening of a new vehicle testing center in South Jakarta later this year, owners of public transit vehicles from South or Central Jakarta will no longer have to travel to East Jakarta to have their vehicles tested.

At present, vehicle tests are performed manually only at the government-owned testing centers in Ujung Menteng and Pulogadung, East Jakarta.

"The new center, whose construction started early this month on Jl. Srengseng Sawah, will serve vehicle owners from South and Central Jakarta mayoralties," said Noto Widigdo, the assistant director of PT Suar Adhika Wahana Ujindo, one of the two private companies appointed last year by the city administration to handle vehicle tests.

The other private company, PT Nakia, will operate in Kalideres, West Jakarta, to serve those from West and North Jakarta.

With the operation of the new testing center, public transit drivers will also no longer have to wait for hours or days to get their vehicles tested for roadworthiness, because it will take the center only 15 minutes to complete all the tests required for each vehicle.

"Nine tests will be performed simultaneously within 15 minutes," Kreshna H. Ismail, the company's technical manager, said, adding that he once had to wait five hours to get his pick- up tested in Ujung Menteng.

The tests will cover exhaust gas, speedometer, noise, side slip, shock absorbers, brakes, wheel suspension, headlights and visual checking tests, Kreshna said.

For those tests, drivers will not have to leave their vehicles, Kreshna said.

"All they have to do is drive their vehicles to the entrance point where a conveyor belt will carry them for the simultaneous tests and deliver them to the exit point after all the tests have been completed," Kreshna explained, adding that this system will make it impossible for go-betweens to operate.

Parking lots

Thus, no parking lots will be needed, Kreshna said, adding that the center will have five testing lanes, where each lane will be able to serve 188 vehicles a day.

Kreshna said each lane will be serviced by 10 personnel, five technicians from the City Land Transportation and Traffic Control Office and five computer operators from his company.

According to Kreshna, any applications for renewing expired plate licenses will not be served by the City Police Office if the vehicles have not passed his company's tests.

Kreshna also said that the fees would remain at present levels, that is, Rp 20,000 for four-wheel vehicles weighing three tons and above, Rp 18,000 for four-wheel vehicles under three tons and Rp 16,500 for three-wheelers.

"Fees can be paid in cash prior to arriving at the entry point or at the Bank DKI, which is owned by the city administration," Kreshna added.

When asked what percentage the city administration will earn from the fees, Kreshna said that the city administration will get Rp 2,000 for each vehicle tested.

Kreshna said the center, which is estimated to cost about Rp 10 billion (US$4.6 million), will be able to accommodate vehicles up to 15 tons.

But at present, Jl. Srengseng Sawah is able to accommodate only lighter buses such as Metromini minibuses, Kreshna added.

When asked about the type of agreement it had made with the city administration, Operation Manager Soelaeman Soeriawidjaja said his company will operate the center on a build-operation-and-transfer (BOT) basis where it will submit the center to the city administration after 15 to 20 years of operation. (arf) Editorial - Page