Overpass planned for Roxy Mas area

Overpass planned for Roxy Mas area

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Traffic jams around the area of Roxy Mas shopping center in West
Jakarta are expected to worsen next year following the city
administration's decision to construct a 2.2 kilometer-long
overpass for the busway special lane.

"The proposal to build the overpass for the busway lane was
because we thought it was impossible to use the existing road,
(Jl Hasyim Ashari) which only has two lanes in each direction,"
Assistant to City Secretary for Development Affairs IGKG Suena
told reporters on Thursday.

The administration plans to set up a new busway corridor from
Kalideres in West Jakarta to Pulo Gebang in East Jakarta via Roxy
and the National Monument (Monas) Park.

Suena did not give details on the project cost.

The Pulo Gebang-Monas route is expected to become operational
in June 2005 while the Monas-Kalideres corridor later in October
2005.

"While the construction of the overpass is underway, the
busway will temporarily occupy one lane of the existing road
colored with red," he said.

Suena said the City Transportation Agency would further study
the possibility if the overpass busway lane could be used by the
public. "The overpass will be too expensive if it is only used
for the busway."

The transportation agency head Rustam Effendy Sidabutar said
the administration would not punish vehicles for passing in the
new busway corridors.

"Traffic restraints, like three-in-one traffic policy, are not
for the busway but they are more to reduce the number of private
vehicles traveling along restricted zones," he said.

The administration has extended the time of implementation of
the three-in-one traffic policy this year. Each private vehicle
is required to have at least three passengers along the
restricted zone in order to encourage motorists to start using
the busway.

However, some surveys showed that only a few private car users
have switched to use the busway due to the absence of a reliable
feeder system.

The administration also plans to build three other overpasses
on Jl. RE Martadinata and Pasar Pagi, both in North Jakarta, and
in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta.

Motorists who often travel along those routes are advised to
seek alternate routes to avoid chronic traffic congestion.