Now or never for mass transit system

Now or never for mass transit system

By Rita A. Widiadana and Johannes Simbolon

JAKARTA (JP): Transportation experts say the time for the Jakarta municipal administration to develop a mass rapid transit system is now, before its construction becomes much more costly.

Falatehan M. Siregar Ph. D., a transportation and urban planning graduate of the University of Wisconsin in the United States, and Dr. Bambang S. Pujiyanto, a transportation engineering graduate of Nihon University of Tokyo, concur that the nation's capital badly needs a mode of transportation which can carry people in great numbers in order to cope with the city's expected rapid development over the next 30 years.

"We must have that kind of transportation, if not now, sometime in the future. However, any delay means more money to be incurred for its construction," Bambang said.

Scenarios

The government announced some time ago that it would build some mode of mass transportation in Jakarta. However, so far the government has been unable to decide on the specific time when the construction will start, and is still busy studying the various scenarios proposed by potential investors.

Neither of the transportation experts could predict when the government will give the go-ahead to the construction of a mass rapid transit system.

"Nevertheless, that fact that the public is talking about the issue so intensively at present, as compared to five years back, when only a few people commented on it, may give us some hint that the construction will probably start soon," Siregar predicted.

Bambang and Siregar were of the opinion that from the environmental point of view the subway mode would be more suitable and beneficial to Jakarta than any above ground mode. The environmental benefits include the fact that a subway creates no eyesore and no sound pollution because it is underground. This, they say, outweighs the considerable construction costs involved in developing a subway.

"The consideration of environmental benefits is in fashion now in Japan. For example, some people are even suggesting eliminating the existing above ground mass rapid transportation systems and other infrastructure, and replacing them with underground systems. That means they will spend money twice. We hope not to do the same thing in Jakarta," Bambang said.

Why a subway ?

Siregar explained there are several alternative modes of transportation for a mass rapid transit system. Among these are heavy mass rapid transit systems, such as the subway, and light rapid transit systems, such as the elevated train network.

The urban area defined as Greater Jakarta is spreading to encompass an ever larger expanse of suburbs, Siregar said. The existing transportation system, which employs big buses, minibuses, taxis and ojek motorcycle cabs cannot accommodate residents living in the border areas. Moreover, poor management, lack of good service, security and punctuality have discouraged people, mostly from the middle and upper segment of society, from utilizing public transportation.

Instead, they use privately owned cars to reach their working places. As a result, the number of automobiles in Jakarta rose sharply from approximately 8.3 million in l989 to 10.5 million in l994 (or an annual growth of 15 percent), compared to the additions to the city's streets, which expand only 4 percent annually.

Public transportation vehicles account for only 2.7 percent of the total number of automobiles in Jakarta. Data show that the city currently has only 9,000 buses of all sizes, 18,000 taxis, and 6,000 mini vans, which transport at least 4.5 million commuters, or 57 percent of the total populace, daily.

In anticipation of continued rapid growth of the population, a mass rap[id transit system is a must, Siregar said.

He suggested that Jakarta operate a heavy mass rapid transit system rather than a light one, like elevated electric trains.

He explained that nowhere in the world are elevated electric trains able to transport millions of passengers within a limited time. Moreover, the construction of additional railway tracks in the city's center would present a complicated problem.

Cost

Bambang commented that theoretically the construction of a subway is very expensive. "But, we should not only think about the construction cost. This system has long-term direct and indirect advantages.

"We should not hesitate to adopt any hi-tech system already used in foreign countries although it will be more expensive," Bambang said.

In term of technology, he acknowledged that Indonesians are not yet capable of constructing such a sophisticated form of transportation system.

Siregar made his case for subways by setting out the costs and benefits of the system in the form of data from foreign cities, including Singapore, Calcutta, Seoul, Sao Paulo, and San Francisco.

In Singapore, the construction of a subway cost around US$112.28 million a mile in l987. In l984, Sao Paulo in Brazil constructed a subway at $154.83 million a mile (or US$356.77 million in capital cost in constant l987 dollars). Los Angeles is presently expanded its subway at a cost of $284 million a mile.

"The value of a subway project depends on the area of each city. The more difficult it is, the more expensive the project will be," Bambang said.

As for Jakarta, he said he could not yet estimate the cost because the existing proposals have yet to be approved.

He confirmed that the construction of a subway would take years to complete.

For example, the construction of a subway from Blok M to Kota -- one of the most likely routes -- has been estimated to take five years because the project would include the construction of infrastructure, such as underground stations and other facilities.

"A subway is also an integrated project that involves various agencies, so that any decision must be discussed at length and compromises reached first," he added.