Three-tier transit project delayed for two months

JAKARTA (JP): The developer of the three-tier transit system says that work on the project will not begin until February because it will have difficulty finding workers over the Idul Fitri holiday period.

The deputy director of PT Citra Moda Margakencana Persada, Bambang Soeroso, said yesterday that because Idul Fitri fell on Jan. 30 and Jan. 31, most of the 12,000 workers needed for the project would be away visiting their hometowns in January.

Work on the project was due to start next month.

The project, which combines a toll road, a railway and arterial roads, will stretch 14 kilometers from Bintaro in South Jakarta to downtown Kota in West Jakarta.

"We hope that by February they'll be back in Jakarta," Bambang said after he presented plans and a model of the new transit system to the governor and high-ranking city officials.

City councilor Saud Rachman of Commission D for development affairs questioned yesterday the need for the delay and said it was "absurd" to say that the developer would have difficulty in finding workers.

"The workers, especially blue-collar workers, are available here," he said. "With the monetary crisis, many of them are unemployed because of the lack of construction projects."

The decision that the Rp 6.2 trillion (US$1.87 billion) transit project would proceed was announced in May.

Construction will be carried out by PT Citra Moda Margakencana Persada, a consortium made up of PT Citra Lamtoro Gung Persada, headed by President Soeharto's eldest daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, state-owned railway company Perumka and state-owned highway corporation PT Jasa Marga.

Bambang said the first stage of the project, between Ulujami in South Jakarta and Tanah Abang in Central Jakarta, was expected to be completed by 2001.

He said the budget of Rp 6.2 trillion was calculated before the monetary crisis, which meant the actual price would likely rise.

He said the consortium was seeking foreign investment because it could not depend just on local funds.

"We'll blend local and foreign funds," he said.

Bambang said the project would try to use public land instead of private land "to minimize the possibility of social unrest".

He said land used in the project would carry gas pipes and telephone cables.

"It's possible we'll rent out the gas and telephone lines, but we haven't thought about that yet," he said.

Bambang said governor Sutiyoso had asked the consortium about the possibility of speeding up work on the project because of the desperate need to improve traffic flow.

Saud said the project was a very important step in solving the city's chronic traffic problems.

"I hope that it'll start by February and there won't be any more delays," he said.

"And when the project is finished, I hope ticket prices will be fair and affordable for everyone." (07/ind)