New toll roads will not cure Jakarta's chronic congestion

New toll roads will not cure Jakarta's chronic congestion

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Jakarta administration's plan to build more toll roads
connecting busy areas might be seen as a good idea to some
people, but transportation experts believe they could cause
greater congestion.

The Indonesia Transportation Society (MTI) chairman Bambang
Susantono emphasized that out of the many projects planned,
expected to cost over Rp 23 trillion (approximately US$2.4
billion) to construct a total of 85.3 kilometers of toll roads
would only benefit a relative few -- mostly private car owners.

"Constructing the (inner city) toll roads will allow more
vehicles to enter the already busy central business areas ...
it's like sending the floods in," he told The Jakarta Post on
Saturday.

Bambang said that the toll roads would cause traffic further
congestion at the toll exit/entrance gates in the city center
because the limited road capacity available would be able to
handle to the massive influx of traffic.

He explained that it was this same argument that brought about
the cancellation of the toll road construction project linking
Bekasi and Kampung Melayu in East Jakarta back in 1990.

"There was a decision made at that time that the city's narrow
streets in Kampung Melayu would not be able to accommodate larger
traffic flows," he said.

The project was revived as part of the planned construction of
seven new toll roads -- not six as reported previously -- the
Kemayoran-Kampung Melayu, Rawa Buaya-Sunter-Kampung Melayu-Duri
Pulo via Tomang, Sunter-Pulogebang, Ulujami-Tanah Abang and Pasar
Minggu-Casablanca routes.

The massive project will begin next March and is expected to
finish by 2009.

Soetanto Soehodho Mahry, a professor of transportation
engineering from the University of Indonesia, who chairs the
university's Center for Transportation Studies (CTS), also urged
the administration to focus more on developing public
transportation.

Soetanto claimed that motorists would only enjoy a brief
respite from the chronic traffic congestion.

"But the gridlock will return as long as the administration
had no policy to curb rapid growth of car ownership in the city,"
the City Transportation Council chairman told the Post.

Every day, at least 138 new cars flood city streets, putting
more burden on the already overcrowded roads, most of which are
community streets and lanes. Not to mention the 600,000 drivers
who commute in from suburban areas, like Bekasi and Tangerang.

Soetanto also warned that the presence of another elevated
road in the capital, combined with all the other buildings
buildings and structures, would make the city uglier.

Soetanto highlighted the paramount importance of the
administration to prioritize a variety of public transportation
projects, which would have a greater impact on the majority of
Jakarta's residents, rather than just the private vehicle owners.

"I'd prefer see the development of a subway system rather than
more elevated highways, which will actually server far fewer
residents. In my calculation, the construction of the subway
would only cost between Rp 150 billion and Rp 200 billion per
kilometer, much cheaper than the elevated toll roads," he said.

The planned toll roads are expected to cost over Rp 270
billion per kilometer.

"Besides benefiting the public in general, the subway will not
affect the city's esthetics as it be mostly underground," he
said.