Research on subway reaches final stage
Research on subway reaches final stage
JAKARTA (JP): Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said yesterday that
the research on the possibility of building a subway in the city
has reached its final stage.
The research is being conducted by the city administration in
cooperation with the Ministries of Transportation and Public
Works and the Agency for the Assessment and Application of
Technology, he said.
"The research is expected to help the city choose the
appropriate technology and calculate its investment," Surjadi
told reporters after receiving a courtesy call from Senator
Nobert Meisner of Berlin and the city's chamber of commerce
yesterday.
He said that the subway system is badly needed to overcome the
city's complicated traffic problems. The research includes
projection on where a route will be built in the first stage and
on its capacity.
"A subway is expected to become a new alternative in getting
rid of the city's transportation problems, in addition to the
extension of streets and the construction of more elevated
roads," Surjadi said.
The governor also explained that there are a number of
advantages in choosing the subway, namely that it will not change
the city's landscape and not cause traffic jams and pollution.
"But the most important thing is costs for the construction of
the subway should be affordable and I understand that this is
also the hardest part because choosing this technology requires
big investments," Surjadi said.
Meanwhile, the head of the City Planning Office, Udin
Abimanyu, said over the weekend that fares for the subway was
originally set at Rp 1,800 (US$0.82) per trip but that price was
now considered unrealistic.
Udin explained that because the investment is very high the
fare should be at least Rp 3,000.
Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto said last year
that the government will construct an elevated monorail between
Blok M and Kota by the year 2000.
The project will be the first phase of a mass rapid transit
system which is aimed for completion in 2015. The total
investment for the project was estimated at US$3.1 billion in
1990. (yns)