Jakarta's first subway project to become a model

Jakarta's first subway project to become a model

JAKARTA (JP): If carried out successfully, the Blok M-Kota
subway project in the city will become a model for Indonesia's
other overcrowded cities, a project executive said yesterday.

"A subway system is one of the most effective answers to the
traffic jam problems in Jakarta. That's why it is necessary for
all of us to support the development of our fist subway so that
other overcrowded cities can copy it," Priyo Pribadi of the
Bukaka group, which is involved with the basic design of the 14.5
kilometer Blok M-Kota subway project.

Priyo said that in the long run, cities like Surabaya in East
Java, Bandung in West Java and Semarang in Central Java will need
to incorporate subways into their mass transit systems.

Jakarta will even need to build more subways of up to 200
kilometers in length to serve the city's commuters whose number
is increasing sharply and steadily, Priyo said.

Currently the population in Jakarta has grown to 12 million
people, and people are traveling an average of 9.7 times per day
into and out of the city. In 2015, the city's population is
projected to reach 32 million people traveling an average of 23.6
times a day, Priyo explained.

He said the subway system has its own superiority compared
with other transportation systems. The subway system can
transport a large number of people at a fixed time with a great
level of security and safety.

Friendly

"Besides, subways are environmentally friendly," Priyo said.

He made the remarks at a news conference held to announce the
convening of a international conference on mass rapid transit
tunnels and stations at Aryaduta Hotel on Oct. 30 and Oct. 31 by
the Association of Indonesian Mining Professionals.

"Jakarta has enough toll roads, as well as underpasses and
overpasses. And it is timely now to discuss the strengths and
weaknesses of subways rather than of overpasses or underpasses,"
said Ladjiman Damanik of the association.

Ladjiman, the association's head of industrial affairs, noted
that Indonesia has experience in building tunnels like those in
the copper mines in Irian Jaya and at the Singkarak power project
site in West Sumatra.

"The construction of this first subway is very strategic for
us because experience gained from this project can help us
develop our own subway technology," Ladjiman said.

Priyo, who is also the association's vice chairman, said the
construction of the Blok M-Kota subway will start in 1997 after
the completion of the detailed design for the project. The
construction process itself is expected to be completed within
three years.

Currently a consortium, called the Indonesia-Japan-Europe
Group, is handling the basic design of the US$1.3 billion subway
project.

The consortium includes Japanese companies led by the Itochu
Corp., European firms by Ferrostaal AG of Germany and Indonesian
firms by PT Citra Lamtorogung. In addition to Bukaka, the
Indonesian investors include PT Bakrie Investindo, PT Pembangunan
Jaya, PT Lippo, PT Suhamthabie and PT Steady Save. (rid)