More underpasses and overpasses to be built

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration plans to build a total of 25 underpasses and overpasses around Jakarta before the year 2005, in an effort to reduce the city's chronic traffic problems.

Head of the city public works office Soeharto told reporters yesterday that nine have already been built, nine are under construction and there are plans to build seven others.

"It is just one way to reduce traffic problems, but it cannot completely overcome the problems because of the imbalance between the number of cars and the number of roads available," Soeharto said.

Yesterday, members of the City Council's Commission D, which is in charge of development affairs, visited the sites of underpasses on Jl. D.I. Panjaitan and a flyover on Jl. Pramuka.

Soeharto said that the roads which have been completed are those located on Jl. Sahardjo, Jl. Rasuna Said and Dukuh Atas area underpasses, Jl. Sudirman, Slipi, Putri Hijau, Jl. Senen, Jl. Pramuka, and Kampung Melayu overpasses.

Jl. D.I. Panjaitan, Manggarai, Tanah Abang underpasses and JL.K.S. Tubun, Kebayoran Lama, Jl. Tendean, Grogol, Buaran and Kampung Rambutan overpasses are still under construction.

Underpasses and overpasses planned to be built will be situated in Karet, Jatibaru, Jl. Pahlawan Revolusi, Jl. Administrasi, Jl. Tanjung Barat, Tomang and Jl. Salemba.

"There are three types of financing for the constructions. A total of 19 projects are covered by the city budget and loans from the World Bank, four of the projects are financed by the state budget and three are financed by the city and state budget," he said.

He cited as examples the flyover on Jl. Pramuka as being worth Rp 8.6 billion and the yet to be built underpass at Manggarai railway station worth Rp 10 billion. Financing for both came from the World Bank and the city budget in which a total of 25 percent was used to appropriate the land. The underpass on Jl. D.I. Panjaitan, which is worth Rp 14 billion, is being financed by the city budget.

Soeharto said there will be eight underpasses or overpasses from Pondok Kopi, East Jakarta, to Pasar Pagi, West Jakarta, such as on Jl. Panjaitan, Jl. Lapangan Ros and Karet.

He said traffic jams in the city will also ease a bit once the outer ring road project is finished.

Councilor Arie Putra Bintana agreed with Soeharto that the development of those roads will not solve the nagging traffic problems in the city.

"The only way to solve this problem is to build a mass rapid transport system," Arie said, adding that with clean and quick public transport many people, such as managers or executives, would not hesitate to take a ride and leave their cars at home. (yns)