Scalper-free bus terminal being built

JAKARTA (JP): The new intercity bus terminal in Pulogebang, East Jakarta, planned for completion in 1998, may be the first here without ticket brokers.

Assistant to the City Secretary Prawoto Danoemihardjo said the modern terminal's design will only allow passengers to enter.

This, he said, will hopefully discourage the possibility of brokers.

"There will be a system in which only passengers can enter the departure or arrival platforms. There will be no ticket brokers in the new terminal," Prawoto said.

Complaint

The high price of tickets has been a regular complaint during peak holiday seasons, as homebound passengers have no choice but to pay up to three times the regular price of fares.

The new design of the three-story terminal has caused further delay of the project, scheduled to begin this year.

Prawoto said the deadline for completion of the terminal, to be built by private developer PT Rodial Eron, has not been changed.

Earlier, the developer's management said construction costs have swollen to Rp 13 billion (US$5.65 million) from Rp 7 billion because of the five-year delay.

The change is driven by a new rule from the Ministry of Transportation, which says that intercity bus terminals must be built on plots of land of at least 10 hectares.

Rodial Eron had resisted, referring to its 1989 agreement with the city to build a 7.1-hectare terminal.

Costly

The city promised to appropriate 2.9 hectares, but later found it too costly.

The three-story design is the result of a compromised, new agreement.

"That's why the company must make the new design," Prawoto said. The planned construction period is 15 months.

The current 3.5-hectare Pulogadung intercity bus terminal is considered no longer adequate. Massive traffic jams are a daily occurrence at the terminal, which accommodates buses from Sumatra and Java as well as city buses.

Under the barter agreement, Rodail Eron will be allowed to use the old terminal site for commercial purposes.

The modern design, Prawoto said, will also include various facilities such as cafes and mosques.

Prawoto said the relocation plan should be implemented as soon as possible, given the condition of the Pulogadung terminal. (yns)