Scalper-free bus terminal being built
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)