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)