Three-tier transit project not in revised urban plan

JAKARTA (JP): The widely publicized three-tier transit system proposal has not been included in the 1985/2010 revised urban spatial plan for the city.

The megaproject, estimated to cost Rp 6.05 trillion (US$2.58 billion), is due to start construction this year.

Also not included in the plan is the $285 million Manggarai integrated transport project.

Head of the City's Spatial Plan Agency, Ahmaddin Ahmad, said the agency had not included the projects because none of them had handed in proposals.

"If we don't have proposals how can we include them in the new plan?" Ahmaddin asked after a presentation of the revised spatial plan at City Hall yesterday.

Two other megaprojects, the reclamation of the northern part of Jakarta Bay and the $1.5 billion subway project connecting Blok M in South Jakarta and Kota in West Jakarta, were included in the new plan.

The proposed three-tier transit system, which will connect Bintaro in South Jakarta to downtown Kota, is due to be built by a joint venture company, PT Citramoda Margakencana Persada.

The company consists of PT Citra Lamtoro Gung Persada -- owned by President Soeharto's eldest daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana -- state-owned railway company Perumka and state-owned highway corporation PT Jasa Marga.

Construction work is due to start in Bintaro, South Jakarta in December and the project is due to be completed by 2001.

The Manggarai integrated transport proposal, which is also being advanced by Mrs. Rukmana, was first presented to the President in 1995.

A consortium member said recently that the consortium was still revising the project's design to reduce the cost.

Under the plan, the existing small terminal in Manggarai would be turned into a four-story station with 22 tracks, four underground express trains and an intercity bus terminal.

The new spatial plan has to be approved by Governor Surjadi Soedirdja, City Council Speaker M.H. Ritonga and Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. before it becomes official.

The plan also revealed that one third of the city's groundwater, particularly in North Jakarta, was of the poorest quality.

"City-owned water company PAM Jaya should overcome the groundwater problem soon," the head of the City's Mining Agency, Arifin Akbar, said.

Areas in which the water quality was particularly low included Cilincing, Kapuk, Muara Karang, Sunter, Tanjung Priok, Kelapa Gading -- all in North Jakarta; Gambir, Jatinegara, Karet, Matraman, Petamburan, Senen, Tanah Abang -- in Central Jakarta, and Pulogadung and Cakung in East Jakarta.

The areas need 250 injection wells, which replenish groundwater, and 30,000 ground wells.

The new plans also show new industrial areas in East, North and West Jakarta.

In Cakung, East Jakarta, industrial growth is supported by the Tanjung Priok port and the toll road leading to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. In North Jakarta, rapid growth is expected to follow the reclamation project.

In Greater Jakarta, new rapidly growing areas include the Karawang regency, the Bogor municipality and the Serang municipality. (ste)