MRT projects to start next year
MRT projects to start next year
JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Public Works yesterday announced
that the oft-delayed urban Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project,
which will link Blok M in South Jakarta with the Kota area in
West Jakarta, will begin next year.
Ruslan Diwiryo, the ministry's secretary general, said that
the government will also build what he called an East-West MRT
system.
The East-West corridor, which will pass Grogol in West
Jakarta, the National Monument in Central Jakarta and Jl.
Pramuka, East Jakarta, will be 40 kilometers long while the
North-South corridor will cover 20 kilometers.
Ruslan said the East-West corridor is expected to be completed
within 6 years, and the North-South section within three years.
He said the MRT projects should receive the high priority they
deserve as a means of solving the city's chronic traffic problems
or else Jakarta will rival Bangkok in terms of traffic
congestion.
"The MRT system is badly needed. If it's not built soon,
traffic problems in Jakarta will become worse, just like in
Bangkok. And we don't want that to happen," Ruslan said.
When asked about the government's previous refusals of
proposals by private investors to build a light train system
between Blok M and Kota, Ruslan said the city currently needs a
west to east link as well.
"It's in line with the city's master plan," Ruslan said.
Ruslan said the government expects the Agency for the
Assessment and Application of Technology and Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) to submit recommendations on the best
MRT system as soon as possible so that the project can be started
next year,
"It could be a combination of bus and heavy rail or bus and
light rail system," Ruslan said.
Nevertheless, Ruslan said that he personally prefers a light
rail system because it is more flexible and easier to construct.
Ruslan said the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of
Public Works, the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas),
the City Administration, BPPT and related institutions have
resumed meetings about the project.
He added that previous studies are being reviewed by a team
from BPPT in coordination with JICA.
"Now we have the support of JICA to review the results of all
previous studies... And we hope that next year we can start the
project," Ruslan said.
Ery Chayaridipura, the chief of the Jakarta Development
Planning Agency, said recently that 11 feasibility studies had
been conducted between 1972 and 1990 on the MRT project.
Feasibility studies on its technical design began last April,
while studies on financing schemes have not yet been made.
Ery said that bidding for the mammoth project will begin next
year with the bidding documents available next month. (rid)