Potholes the bane of Tangerang regency

Potholes the bane of Tangerang regency

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

How do you tell Tangerang regency from Tangerang municipality?
Attentive travelers might be able to tell from the condition
of the roads, as Tangerang regency is fast becoming notorious for
its damaged infrastructure.

Regency officials estimate that some 720 kilometers, or around
80 percent of the regency's 1,100 kilometers of roads are in
urgent need of repair.

"Damage roads have affected the regency's road users,
considering that Tangerang is home to more than 2,500 industrial
firms," Faisal, spokesman of the Lippo Karawaci, Tangerang, told
The Jakarta Post in a recent interview.

He said that potholes had caused heavy congestion along main
thoroughfares.

"Road users deserve better infrastructure because we regularly
pay tax, including when we renew our vehicle permit each year,"
Faisal said.

Head of the regency's Public Work Agency, Hermansyah said
that the administration had allocated Rp 75 billion from this
year's budget to repair the roads, while Regent Ismet Iskandar
was hoping to get another Rp 10 billion from the central
government.

Hermansyah said that the funds would finance 200 road
projects, with each project tackling a two kilometer stretch of
road.

He said the fact that there was no real drainage system for
the regency's roads was largely to blame.

This means that water accumulates every time it rains, filling
potholes in the surface of roads, he explained.

The Post observed that potholes are common along the 20
kilometers of Jl. Raya Serpong. Road separators on both sides of
the road have also been blamed for traffic congestion and
reportedly accidents.

Parluhutan Gultom, who runs a tire kiosk near WTC Matahari on
Jl. Raya Serpong, said "traffic congestion can be tolerated, but
the potholes and separators have led to accidents and essentially
cost lives."