Malaysian firm proposes monorail in Jakarta

Damar Harsanto The Jakarta Post Jakarta

A Malaysian firm has expressed willingness to invest in the construction of a monorail to help ease chronic traffic congestion in the city.

"We are ready to construct a monorail. Once we obtain permission (from the governor), we will start," Ruslan Diwirjo, chief executive officer of Indonesia Transit Central, a consortium set up to develop the monorail project, said on Friday.

The consortium also comprises local companies PT Adhi Karya, Global Profex Synergy, and Radiant Utama.

According to Ruslan, the Malaysian firm, M Trans Holding, is prepared to invest Rp 3.28 trillion (US$400 million) in the first stage of the project, including the construction of stations.

The project will link Bekasi in the east and Tangerang in the west, a distance of about 22.5 kilometers, via various major arteries, including Jl. Casablanca, which is notorious for its traffic jams.

"We have also sought approval from the Bekasi and Tangerang municipalities, Pak Agum (the Minister of Transportation), and the director general for land transportation (Iskandar Abubakar), for the project," said Ruslan after a meeting with Governor Sutiyoso at City Hall.

The monorail cars, which will use technology from the U.S. that has already been applied in Malaysia, will be able to travel at up to 80 kilometers per hour.

Meanwhile, Sutiyoso said that in addition to the Malaysian firm, a British firm had also expressed its willingness to develop a monorail system.

Sutiyoso, however, did not name the British company.

"There are private companies from Malaysia and Britain who are willing to invest in constructing a monorail here. It's purely an investment," Governor Sutiyoso told reporters.

Sutiyoso said that the companies would need at least two-and-a-half years before the monorail would be up and running.

"I have told them that passenger fares must be cheaper than the fares for other forms of public transportation. In addition, it must be more comfortable for passengers," Sutiyoso remarked.

Sutiyoso said the monorail project was part of the Greater Jakarta Transportation Plan that had been designed by a team from the University of Indonesia (UI).

This blueprint for the future of transportation in the city includes a monorail (light rapid transit, or LRT), busway (bus rapid transit, or BRT), subway, and water transportation.

Earlier plans to develop an MRT system here were abandoned for various reasons, including financing problems.

Meanwhile, Irzal Djamal, an assistant to the city secretary for development affairs, said the administration would welcome any investment in transportation by the private sector.

"But, all investment must be in accordance with the existing Greater Jakarta Transportation Plan. Otherwise, we can't accept it," said Irzal.

The city administration is preparing a busway project in an effort to ease traffic congestion in the city. The launch of the project, now scheduled for the end of the year, has been delayed several times due to poor planning.