Traffic to worsen as busway works to start

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The planned construction of a new busway corridor stretching from Pulogadung bus terminal, East Jakarta, to Kalideres, West Jakarta, to start by the end of October means a reduction in the number of lanes for private cars and public vehicles since the busway will occupy one of the existing lanes.

With an estimated six months to complete the construction of busway shelters and exclusive lanes along the 23.6-kilometer route, motorists passing the route must also be prepared for worsening traffic in Senen, Central Jakarta, and on Jl. Daan Mogot, West Jakarta.

Currently an underpass in Senen and an overpass on Jl. Daan Mogot is under construction. The construction is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

In anticipation of traffic congestion, the administration is urged to provide details on alternative roads.

"Learning from our past experience, the administration has never issued an announcement to the public about its numerous construction projects. The residents have to deal with the impact of the project, including worsening traffic jams, without knowing when it (the nuisance) will end," said urban planning observer Tubagus Haryo Karbyanto of the Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta) on Monday.

He added that an announcement would enable the public to monitor the project to see if it was in line with the plan.

The new corridor is expected to start operation in mid 2005.

City Transportation Agency's traffic infrastructure division head Udar Pristono said at City Hall that his agency would start building the shelters and lane divider along the busway corridor by the end of October.

"But in some locations, we have to share the lane (with private cars)," he said.

The agency claimed that the new route would cater for the need for comfortable and affordable transportation linking the east and west parts of the city.

The new corridor will cross the existing 12.9-kilometer busway corridor from Blok M in South Jakarta to Kota in West Jakarta at the National Monument (Monas) park.

The new corridor will also target train passengers at Juanda, Senen and Gambir railway stations.

The agency has predicted that around 60,000 passengers could be served by the new busway every day.

Meanwhile, TransJakarta Busway Management, which handles the first busway ticketing system and operation, started to complain of technical problems.

"Many parts of the busway lane have shown signs of stress that could endanger the buses and shelters," the management head Irzal Z Djamal said. "We can't repair the damage because we do not have the funds."

So far, the City Public Works Agency, in charge of the busway lane maintenance, has only strengthened the construction of the road at two intersections, one near Monas and another in Kota.

Irzal also complained that some of the aluminum plates on the ramps at busway pedestrian bridges and shelters had started to come loose.