Subway will ease city's traffic jams

Subway will ease city's traffic jams

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta's first subway system will not solve
many traffic problems but it should prevent them from getting
worse in the future, a senior official believes.

The head coordinator of the project management unit, Hasan
Basrie, said yesterday that a subway system would give Jakartans
a quicker and more comfortable alternative transportation system
than currently exists.

"The subway would not eliminate traffic jams, but traffic in
the city will be even worse if the city administration does not
build one," Hasan said. It would be an alternative for people who
demand quick and safe transportation, he added.

The public relations manager of the project, Santoso W.
Ramelan said the city needs mass rapid transit because, based on
the latest research, the number of people moving between Kota and
Blok M during peak hours exceeds 32,000 people per hour.

He said the subway system offers a rapid means of
transportation which can carry people more quickly and
efficiently than land transportation.

The first route, from Blok M to Kota, will be served by a
total of 100 carriages and have a capacity of 500 passengers per
minute at peak hours.

"The system is very flexible because we can easily add more
carriages to a train if needed using the existing tracks," he
said.

When asked whether the area covered by the subway will be free
from flooding, Hasan simply said it would not be a problem
because it can be prevented by protecting the entrance of each
station.

Appropiate

Deputy Governor for Economic and Development Affairs TB. M.
Rais said that a subway system is the most appropriate concept of
transportation in the city. "It offers many advantages such as
its ability to carry many passengers quickly. Subway trains
create little air pollution, and the construction of the system
would not affect traffic."

The Mass Rapid Transit concept has long been regarded as the
best solution to the daily traffic chaos in the capital. However,
the city administration has been very careful in choosing the
best concept for the city.

Another concept put forward to overcome the transportation
problem in Jakarta was a three-level transportation system
linking Bintaro in South Jakarta and Kota downtown.

PT Citra Lamtorogung Persada, owned by Siti Hardiyanti
Rukmana, President Soeharto's eldest daughter, wants to start the
14 kilometer, Rp 2.7 trillion (US$1.2 billion) project in 1997.

Governor Surjadi Soedirdja and representatives of a
multinational consortium signed a memorandum of understanding on
Aug. 1 last year to prepare the basic design for the first subway
system.

The subway is expected to cost US$8 million, $5 million of
which will be provided by foreign companies, $2.5 million by
local firms and the remaining $500,000 by the city
administration.

The foreign investors joining the consortium consist of
Japanese companies led by the Itochu Corp. and European firms by
Ferrostaal AG of Germany.

The Indonesian investors consist of PT Bakrie Investindo, a
subsidiary of the Bakrie Group, PT Pembangunan Jaya, PT Lippo, PT
Bukaka/PT Kuda Perkasa, PT Suhamthabie and PT Steady Safe. (yns)