Land problems delay road construction
Wahyuana, Bekasi
The original intention of toll road developer PT Jasa Marga to complete the eastern part of the megaproject Jakarta Outer Ring Road (JORR) by the end of this year appears to be facing another delay, as landowners have rejected the compensation on offer.
Seven residents of Kebantenan village, whose land is affected by the project, have claimed they were never asked to discuss the matter of compensation.
"Only land speculators came to us," said Taimin, whose 250- square meter (sq m) site will be used by Jasa Marga to accommodate the toll gate connecting Jatiasih and Hankam Raya.
Jasa Marga spokesman Zuhdi Saragih said over the weekend that the land acquisition issue had reached a stalemate.
"No compromise has been reached on the land price. The Bekasi municipality issued a letter in April, saying that the price of the land was Rp 1.3 million (US$144) per square meter, which is too expensive for us. We offered them (the landowners) Rp 500,000 and Rp 800,000 per square meter," he said.
"This is in the public interest, so we hope it will be prioritized by the municipality."
To overcome land acquisition problems, the government has set up a special team comprising officials from Bekasi Prosecutor's Office, the National Land Agency (BPN), the police, Bekasi Planning Agency, Bekasi Development Planning Board (Bappeda) and Bekasi Environmental Agency, and it is chaired by Bekasi Mayor Ahmad Zurfaih.
Ahmad suggested Jasa Marga renegotiate with the landowners, following the company's objection to the land price set by his administration.
He also suggested the operator prioritize completion of the toll road construction in areas that faced no land acquisition problems.
"We welcome the toll road project because it will help ease traffic jams in Bekasi," said Budi, whose 260sq m site would also be affected.
"We are simply seeking fair compensation. If landowners in Bambu Apus can get Rp 1.9 million per sq m, we hope we can get Rp 1.5 million per sq m," said Taimin.
Jasa Marga has been competing the four-kilometer section from Hankam Raya to Jati Asih and another four-kilometer section from Jati Asih to Cikunir.
The Rp 370 billion toll road is designed to accommodate around 20,000 vehicles per day.
The JORR project was planned in the early 1990s to deal with chronic traffic congestion in Jakarta. Once completed, the road will connect Tangerang, Kebon Jeruk, Ulujami, Pondok Pinang, Jagorawi, Cikunir, Cakung, Cilincing and Tanjung Priok. The project was halted due to the monetary crisis that hit the country in late-1997.