River transportation plan takes shape

River transportation plan takes shape

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

While the development of the monorail and new busway corridors
are already underway, the city administration is working on plans
for a river transportation project.

"We are finalizing the plan for the first phase of the river
transportation project that links Manggarai sluice gate in South
Jakarta to Pejompongan sluice gate in Karet in Central Jakarta
along the West Flood Canal," said City Transportation Agency head
Rustam Effendy Sidabutar.

The four-kilometer Manggarai-Karet section is part of the
planned 42-kilometer river transportation project stretching from
Manggarai to Marunda in North Jakarta worth Rp 1.6 trillion.

The agency estimated that the first phase of the project would
cost around Rp 89.7 billion.

According to Rustam, the administration has prioritized the
Manggarai-Karet section as it passes by business districts.

The river transportation would be integrated into a greater
transportation system incorporating the busway and railway
station at Dukuh Atas and planned Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) on Jl.
Rasuna Said.

"We plan to present the project plan next month to Jakarta
Governor Sutiyoso before we go ahead with the implementation of
the project," he said.

Rustam said the development of river transportation required
the agency to dredge the canal and raise some bridges and gas
pipes crosscutting along the routes to make way for the passage
of 2.75-meter-high boats.

There will be four boats with 25 seats each to serve the
route. The route will have five piers for passengers to get on
and off.

Sutiyoso said earlier that he had instructed relevant agencies
to conduct a feasibility study on river transportation in the
capital.

"The route is relatively short as we just want to introduce
the new transportation system to residents," he said.

A preliminary study conducted by the transportation agency
estimated that around 2,193 passengers per day would make use of
the river transportation services.

Initially, the city had planned to develop a route from Pasar
Baru, Central Jakarta, to Ancol, North Jakarta, but changed its
mind because of low bridges along the route and inadequate water
volume.

In the 12th century, one of the biggest rivers dividing
Batavia (old Jakarta) into eastern and western sections,
Ciliwung River, served as the main transportation route
connecting the center of the Hindu Sunda Kingdom in Batutulis,
Bogor, to Sunda Kalapa seaport.

Jakarta has 12 rivers flowing through it. However, unlike the
situation in the past, all of the rivers are shallow and severely
polluted with garbage, making efforts to use river transportation
nearly impossible.