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.