Jakarta MRT Ordinance is Approved

The dream to have a public transportation is looking to true. The City Council of Jakarta on Tuesday approved two ordinances that will become the legal basis for the development of the city's Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system. This choice is eliminate other idea about MRT, subway that look need high cost. The other project is Jakarta monorail, that stopped because lack of budget.

Following month-long deliberations, the council's seven main parties agreed in a plenary session on the establishment of PT MRT Jakarta -- a city-owned company -- and the city's investment in it. The ordinances were initially scheduled for approval in early May but were delayed because of opposition from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the National Mandate Party (PAN).

The US$800 million project is part of a joint effort by the administration and the government to address Jakarta's abysmal traffic conditions. About 85 percent of the funding (Rp 8.3 trillion) will come from loans from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).

The government will pay for 42 percent of the loans at an annual interest rate of 0.4 percent. The administration will cover the remainder.

The project's first phase, estimated to cost Rp 200 billion, consists of feasibility studies, the establishment of MRT Jakarta and the construction of a 14.3 kilometer line from Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta to Dukuh Atas in Central Jakarta.
The second phase of development will be the construction of a line from Dukuh Atas to Kota in West Jakarta.

The MRT is expected to be in operation by 2015. If this project is finished, we will have two mass transportation moda, busway dan MRT.

the jakartapost.