Traffic to worsen as busway works to start

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.