Triple-tier transit system project to go ahead
BANDUNG (JP): Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto said yesterday the city's triple-tier transit system project would not be rescheduled.
He cited the need for an improvement in the city's mass transportation system to help solve chaotic traffic conditions.
"It's for sure that the project will be continued because the developer, PT Citra Lamtorogung, has already stated its readiness to go ahead with its development," Haryanto told reporters in Bandung, East Java, after opening a plenary session of the state- owned railway company Perumka.
The construction of the project has been delayed several times.
In February, Bambang Soeroso, head of the Rp 6.05 trillion (US$756.25 million) project, said construction was expected to start in June. But he announced in April that its groundbreaking would be held in late 1997.
Last month, Bambang again announced a new schedule, saying construction would be delayed for another two months because the company faced difficulties finding workers ahead of the Idul Fitri holiday.
The system will be built by a joint-venture company, PT Citramoda Margakencana Persada, comprising PT Citra Lamtoro Gung Persada -- owned by President Soeharto's daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana -- along with state-owned railway company Perumka and the state-owned highway corporation PT Jasa Marga.
The company has proposed a Rp 1,800 fare for the project's light rail transit system and a Rp 6,500 to Rp 10,000 fare for its toll road. It also has requested a concession period of 50 years, excluding the projected four-year construction period.
The system is expected to begin operating in 2001.
Under the plan, the triple-tier system would consist of 23.65 kilometers of toll road and 22 kilometers of light rail with 20 stops -- four main stations and 16 secondary stations. The four main stations would be built in Ulujami, Kebayoran Lama, Blok M -- all in South Jakarta -- and Kota.
The light rail transit system will consist of two lines: a Bintaro-Kebayoran Lama-Kota route and a Bintaro-Kebayoran Lama- Blok M-Kebayoran Lama-Kota route. The light rail system is designed to have a carrying capacity of 12,000 passengers an hour.
Minister Haryanto also stated that the double-track railway project from Jakarta to Surabaya would be continued, though conducted in stages.
"After its completion, the government will also continue with the construction of a double-track railway from Kroya in Central Java to Yogyakarta. But we don't know when it will start ... maybe in the seventh or eighth Five Year Development Program. It will probably be the next minister of transportation who will continue this project," he said.
Haryanto said the government was giving serious attention to the development of the country's railway system.
"For instance, we have set aside some Rp 31.5 billion per year just for railway maintenance," he said.
"You have to remember that there are certain priorities. If the government only built railway tracks, it would be like giving charity to the state-owned railway company, Perumka, without any hope that we could reach a break even point.
"It's different if we developed a toll road project, in which we could estimate the break even point to come in just a few years," he added.
He also expressed concern over the high rate of accidents occurring along railroad track intersections.
"Along the Jakarta-Surabaya railway route, there are some 7,000 intersections. Perumka can't possibly supervise all of them. So I think there should be a safety campaign aimed at drivers in those areas," he said, adding that the trains could not be blamed if accidents happened.
He urged Perumka to establish a team to handle the issue and to implement procedures to cut the rate of accidents at railway intersections. (edt/43)