Sutiyoso tows to improve public transportation

Sutiyoso tows to improve public transportation

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Governor Sutiyoso is seeking to raise the city budget to Rp 16.98
trillion (US$1.69 billion) in 2006 in order to finance ambitious
transportation and flood mitigation projects.

Speaking during the submission of the city's working plan for
2006 to the City Council, Sutiyoso listed 15 projects that would
get priority in 2006, including transportation, flood mitigation
and housing for low-income people.

The city's 2005 budget stood at Rp 14.01 trillion.

Sutiyoso said on Friday that he would like to allocate Rp 4.06
trillion or 24.3 percent of the total proposed 2006 budget for 15
key programs.

"Next year's key programs are directly related to the
interests of the public -- they are monumental, large-scale and
urgent for the improvement of the people's welfare," he said.

In the 2005 budget, the city administration allocated Rp 2.82
trillion for 13 key programs.

Under Sutiyoso's proposal, the transportation sector will
receive the largest amount of budgetary funds -- Rp 876.7 billion
for busway projects, Rp 155 billion for mass rapid transit (MRT)
facilities and Rp 166 billion for the construction of underpasses
and flyovers.

The city plans to develop two busway corridors in 2006 --
corridor IV from Pulogadung in East Jakarta to the Hotel
Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta, and corridor V from
Kampung Rambutan to Kampung Melayu, both in East Jakarta.

Corridor I stretches from Blok M in South Jakarta to Kota in
West Jakarta, corridor II from Pulogadung to Harmoni in Central
Jakarta, and corridor III from Harmoni to Kalideres in West
Jakarta.

The city allocated Rp 515 billion for the construction of
corridors II and III, which are expected to be completed early
next year.

The budget allocation for the MRT project would be used to
acquire land. The MRT project itself will stretch from Lebak
Bulus in South Jakarta to the National Monument (Monas) park in
Central Jakarta.

Meanwhile, flood mitigation projects will receive the second
largest allocations -- Rp 500 billion for land acquisition for
the East Flood Canal project, and Rp 315 billion for dredging up
the city's rivers.

The construction of the East Flood Canal is set for completion
in 2007, but the project is facing serious problems, particularly
in terms of land acquisition. This year the city allocated Rp 450
billion for land acquisition for the project.

Another priority program is in the housing sector. The city
has allocated Rp 360 billion for the construction of 3,000 units
of low-cost apartments and for the improvement of sanitation in
crowded residential areas.

Other key programs include the construction of a seaport in
Muara Angke in North Jakarta, the relocation of street vendors,
waste management, the expansion of green spaces, micro-credits
for subdistrict residents, public service improvement, the
renovation of schools and health services for the poor.

Sutiyoso said he expected the economy to grow by 6.13 percent
in 2006 as compared to 5.24 percent this year, while the
inflation rate would remain at this year's rate of 8 percent.