Terminal to accomodate boats as well as buses
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
As an effort to provide an integrated transportation system to the public in the capital, Jakarta administration will integrate the long-delayed Pulo Gebang bus terminal in East Jakarta with the busway system and river transportation.
"The construction of the terminal will include space for the busway buses. In the future, when the administration completes the East Flood Canal project, we will also continue building a berth for the river transportation," said the Jakarta Transportation Agency head Rustam Effendy Sidabutar on Tuesday.
The administration is currently building the second busway corridor plying Pulogadung bus terminal in East Jakarta to Kalideres in West Jakarta via the National Monument (Monas). The original corridor was from Pulo Gebang to Kalideres.
Once the new bus terminal -- claimed to be the most modern in the city -- is completed, the busway corridor will be extended from Pulogadung to Pulo Gebang.
As for the river transportation, it will run on the planned East Flood Canal that will flow close to the east side of the terminal.
"We will start the construction of the terminal early next year. Hopefully, it can start operation by the end of 2006," Rustam said.
The terminal will comprise of three parts: city buses, intercity buses and busway buses. It will also be equipped with shopping centers, offices for bus operators and comfortable lounges for would-be passengers.
"The most modern concept of the terminal will be adopted for the renovation work of other intercity bus terminals in Kalideres, Lebak Bulus and Kampung Rambutan," Rustam said.
The administration has decided to go ahead with the project, which earlier had been expected to be operational by 2001, although it has yet to acquire some plots of land required for the terminal.
From the required 10.9 hectares plot of land, the administration has acquired some nine hectares, which was formerly owned by state housing company Perumnas. The remaining 1.9 hectares has yet to be purchased.
"Around 30 land owners have asked compensation double the price of the Value of Taxable Property (NJOP) and it is difficult for the administration to fulfill," East Jakarta Mayor Koesnan Abdul Halim said. "Therefore, we changed the masterplan without reducing the terminal's functions so that we can simply ignore that land."
The Pulo Gebang bus terminal was supposed to replace the overcrowded Pulogadung bus terminal, also in East Jakarta, in 2001. It will be larger than Pulogadung terminal, which has been notorious for rampant thuggery targeting passengers.
But the project was delayed after Governor Sutiyoso revoked a gubernatorial decree issued in 1990 on the construction of the terminal at an area close to the East Jakarta municipality office in 2001 and moved the project to another location.
The move had raised opposition from a number of councillors who protested that the location owned by Perumnas would require the city to fork out another Rp 12 billion (US$1.33 million) to reclaim the swampy land. They also highlighted safety concern, due to the fact that the location is only 500 meters away from a military arsenal.
The terminal is expected to reduce traffic jams in the city because intercity buses will have to go directly to the terminal and avoid city roads.
The new terminal, which has direct access to the Cakung- Cilincing toll road, will be able to accommodate at least 3,000 city buses, including the busway buses, and 800 intercity buses.