Sutiyoso told to delay busway project

JAKARTA: Governor Sutiyoso has been told to delay the implementation of a busway project connecting Blok M in South Jakarta to Kota in Central Jakarta because more preparation is needed.

"Initially, I hoped that Sutiyoso would learn from a number of Latin American countries that he visited that a busway system requires good preparation," the chairman of the Jakarta Residents Forum, Azas Tigor Nainggolan, was quoted by Antara as saying on Sunday.

He said Sutiyoso did not understand the basic concepts of a busway system, a system that according to him is not meant to be the solution to all traffic problems.

The governor has said the busway system will allow people to enjoy comfortable public transportation.

Tigor said a busway should be incorporated into the whole transportation system of the city.

He also criticized the city administration for not involving the public in the drafting of its transportation policies.

Sutiyoso and a number of officials recently returned from a trip that took them to a number of cities in Latin American, including Bogota, Quito, Sao Paulo and Mexico City. The purpose of the trip was to study the transportation systems in these cities.--JP