Stop-go busway project to be revved up again

Stop-go busway project to be revved up again

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Although still the subject of controversy, the city
administration decided on Wednesday to launch the busway project
by the end of this year.

"But it will be like a trial, with only two buses on the
route," Deputy Governor Fauzi Bowo told reporters after listening
to a briefing about the project from the city transportation
agency at City Hall.

Fauzi said the launching was part of a program to familiarize
the public with the service before the Rp 54 billion project
would be fully operational in the next eight months.

But it is still unclear what kind of buses will be used in the
project. The administration earlier expressed that they would
probably use Hungarian Icarus buses to serve the busway route
linking Blok M area in South Jakarta to Kota in West Jakarta.

The City Council approved last month the diversion of the Rp
54 billion busway fund for several projects, including the
purchase of two trucks, digital traffic lights and computers.

But, the reallocation of the fund enraged Governor Sutiyoso
who has supported the busway project since the beginning. Many
urban planning experts claim that the project would worsen
traffic congestion.

The reallocation of the fund was done under the authorization
of agency head Rustam Effendy and certain councillors without
informing Sutiyoso.