Proposed fares for three-tiered system queried
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) is opposed to the proposed fares and toll for the railway and tollway announced by the company which will construct a three- level transit system from Bintaro, South Jakarta, to Kota downtown.
The foundation vice chairman, Agus Pambagio, said yesterday the fare and toll proposals could be reviewed.
"Judging from the proposals, Rp 1,800 (74 U.S. cents) for the light rail transit and between Rp 6,500 and Rp 10,000 for the tollway, the facilities would be expensive for users. The government could make the fare and toll smaller by helping the company with land appropriation funds," Agus said.
Agus said the foundation was concerned more about the light rail transit fare as most of the passengers were expected to be of the middle-to-lower class group.
The fare for an AC express bus is also Rp 1,800 per passenger per trip.
"Land appropriation becomes more costly due to the involvement of mediators, including government officials and speculators," Agus told The Jakarta Post.
The project owner does not usually not meet with property owners and negotiate compensation directly, he said.
"The company wants the money spent on land appropriation back quickly by setting high fares," he said.
PT Citramoda Margakencana Persada, the company which is to construct the Rp 6.05 trillion ($2.49 billion) three-tier transit system was set up Monday.
The system, comprising a toll road, a railway and artery roads, will stretch from Bintaro in South Jakarta to downtown Kota. The project is scheduled to start in December and to be completed within four years.
Of the total investment, Rp 3.85 trillion was for the project's construction, Rp 615.7 billion to secure land, and Rp 1.588 trillion to pay loan interest.
Eighty percent of the company's shares belong to PT Citra Lamtoro Gung Persada, which is headed by President Soeharto's eldest daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana. Ten percent belongs to state-owned railway company Perumka and the remaining 10 percent belongs to state-owned highway corporation PT Jasa Marga.
Most private car owners and public transportation users also have complained about the planned high fares and toll.
A bus driver, who declined to be identified, said he just learned about the project from a newspaper yesterday.
"I think buses and other public transport owners will refuse to pay such a high toll. The rental we have to pay to the bus owner everyday is not cheap," said the driver, who operates a bus plying Kampung Rambutan-Kota route.
Extra
He said that drivers and bus owners might charge their passengers extra. "If that happened, I think the passengers would protest," he said.
An employee of a private company on Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Central Jakarta, also expressed an objection. "Besides the fares and toll being too high, I'm not sure that the project will reduce traffic problems," Ria said.
She said the public would not object to paying the price if the project reduced traffic jams. "But, if traffic problems linger, the project would just be a waste," Ria said.
She also lamented the plan to build the railway, "It would not be far too different from the current commuter train."
Megi, an employee from the Ministry of Finance, said she would prefer to use the railway than the toll road because it would be much cheaper. She also said she expected the train would be comfortable and clean.
Under the plan, the company will build 23.65 kilometers of toll road and 22 kilometers of railway between Bintaro and Kota, passing through Kebayoran Lama and Blok M.
The city also intends to construct a $1.5 billion subway. The 14.5 kilometer mass rapid transit system will connect Blok M in South Jakarta and downtown Kota.
Today, Bambang Trihatmodjo, one of President Soeharto's sons, is scheduled to sign a memorandum of understanding on the subway project. (ste/12)