JakartaRailwatch:Monorail->MRT [Archive]

jpatokal

26-09-05, 10:14 AM

Time for a Jakarta monorail thread? Here's an editorial from Jakarta Post (http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaileditorial.asp?fileid=20050924.E01&irec=0) (which inexplicably nukes its online articles after one day) to start things off, cut down a bit for fair use & all.

Quo vadis, Jakarta monorail?

While Jakarta traffic grows more chaotic day by day, and the administration is seemingly unable to remedy the situation, the construction of the city's first monorail, which is expected to help ease congestion, has been at a virtual standstill since its work started in June 2004.

The absence of adequate information from the administration as to why the project has stopped and what has really happened has provoked understandable public speculation.

Motorists passing along Jl. Asia-Afrika -- the Senayan Stadium area -- are puzzled when seeing a number of unfinished reinforced pillars along the median strip, which stand out like white elephants.

These stumps are the work of PT Jakarta Monorail, a joint venture between PT Indonesia Transit Central (ITC) with 55 percent, and the Omnico Group of Singapore, which is authorized to build and manage the monorail project under a 30-year concession from the Jakarta municipal administration.

Omnico replaced a Malaysian company, MTrans Holding Sdn Bhd,. with which ITC had signed an MoU in Kuching in August, 2003, at a ceremony witnessed by then Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohammad and then president Megawati Soekarnoputri.

The project seemed to get off to a good start in mid-June last year, a month after the awarding of the concession by Governor Sutiyoso to Jakarta Monorail. Foundations were driven into Jl. Asia Africa and with great fanfare as Megawati again stood by. However, the work stopped altogether only after a few weeks.

Omnico later said the MoU between ITC and the Indonesian Consortium was signed without its approval.

The US$600 million project then changed hands again in July when ITC, the Indonesian partner of Jakarta Monorail, suddenly signed a MoU with an Indonesian consortium led by PT Bukaka Teknik Utama (partly owned by Vice President Jusuf Kalla), with the support of state-owned PT INKA, the Bandung-based PT LEN electronics industry and PT Siemens Indonesia.

The oft changes in the partners have undoubtedly led to allegations that certain parties with strong vested interests and powerful political backing had jumped on the project.

Before the MoU between ITC and Bukaka was signed, the Jakarta administration had approved Jakarta Monorail's decision to use South Korean technology, a form of magnetic levitation or "mag-lev", which was developed by Rotem. Rotem is part of the Omnico consortium that also includes Singapore's Mass Rapid Transport Pte. Ltd. and Singapore Technologies Engineering Pte. Ltd.

The dispute between Jakarta Monorail shareholders escalated after the Indonesian partner (ITC) and its Konsortium Indonesia, apparently with the suppport of the Jakarta administration, decided last month to use Siemens' "straddle" or "buggy" technology, which they claim is much cheaper than the high-tech mag-lev system.

While the shareholders of Jakarta Monorail, the holder of the concession, are embroiled in a dispute, it is the public that is the real loser, as the project will certainly fall behind schedule. One has to wonder why the Jakarta administration allowed the tug-of-war between the business partners to drag on this long...

jpatokal

12-10-05, 06:43 PM

The project management may be in chaos and they evidently still haven't decided whose technology to use... but yesterday there were dozens of workers busily putting up monorail columns along Jl. Rasuna Said. I guess I should be glad they're actually doing something instead of just sitting on their thumbs... but here's hoping the current columns are specced to stand whatever load is eventually decided to be put on them :eek:

numpty

16-10-05, 10:39 AM

those pylons near plaza senayan are startin to resemble gordon wu s master piece along vipawadee rangsit...

jpatokal

23-10-05, 12:08 PM

So the inevitable happened and Omnico is out: yet another foreign company getting kicked out because a local with better connections (in this case to VP Jusuf Kalla) came in and greased the right palms. From Jakarta Post, Oct 21:
In another blow to the country's hopes of attracting foreign investment to the infrastructure sector, Governor Sutiyoso has announced the withdrawal of Omnico Singapore Pte. Ltd. from PT Jakarta Monorail (JM), the consortium selected to construct and operate the city's monorail project.

"Omnico is no longer in the consortium. PT Jakarta Monorail has a new partner," Sutiyoso told reporters at City Hall after a meeting with JM executives on Thursday.

PT Jakarta Monorail is owned by PT Indonesia Transit Central (55 percent) and Omnico Singapore Pte. Ltd. (45 percent).

Sutiyoso did not say why Omnico had quit the consortium nor give any details of the new partner. He did hint, however, that the new partner was a foreign company. ...

jpatokal

28-11-05, 02:04 PM

Interesting article in the Jakarta Post today (http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailcity.asp?fileid=20051128.G02&irec=1), selectively quoted because the link will break tomorrow. I thought this was complete pie in the sky but at least they're putting (some) money where their mouth is...

City readies funds for MRT project

The Jakarta administration has earmarked some Rp 135 billion (US$13.5 million) in its 2006 budget draft for the ambitious mass rapid transit (MRT) network, the first concrete step taken to materialize the undertaking.

"I have been informed by Minister (of Transportation) Hatta Radjasa that the construction of the MRT line will begin next year. The project will be financed by a loan from the Japanese government," Governor Sutiyoso said early this week when asked about the budget allocation.

The 32-kilometer MRT will stretch from Kota in West Jakarta to Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta, passing by National Monument (Monas) Park in Central Jakarta.

The construction of the Monas-Lebak Bulus section will start in 2006 and is expected to be completed in three years.

...

The Monas-Lebak Bulus line will be the first of the two stages of the south-north MRT project in the capital. The second line will run from Monas to Kota.

The first stage will include the construction of nine elevated stations from Lebak Bulus to Istora in the Senayan Sports Complex in Central Jakarta and three underground stations from Bendungan Hilir in Central Jakarta to Monas park.

The Lebak Bulus-Monas section is estimated to cost about $767.66 million, while the cost of the second is yet to be calculated.

The MRT project was approved for the first time in 1974. The government was on the brink of materializing it in 1995, after the Japanese government committed to providing funds for the MRT. However, the financial crisis in mid-1997 led to the project's postponement.

The MRT network is estimated to carry some 322,400 passengers per day in 2009 and 440,700 passengers per day in 2015.
As a mild reality check, it's worth noting that the city has had major financing problems even for the BRT lines, four of which cost $87.67m combined (barely over a tenth of what this half-MRT would cost), and of course the whole monorail saga (http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=1178) is going precisely nowhere (construction has stopped again). Bt hey, at least they're trying...

See also Skyscrapercity (http://skyscrapercity.com/archive/index.php/t-221069.html) for previous discussion and some commentary on the woeful state of Jakarta's commuter network.

numpty

30-11-05, 06:53 AM

i'm not holding my breath on this

jpatokal

06-12-05, 01:24 PM

Jakarta Monorail still stuck in a quagmire (http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailcity.asp?fileid=20051206.G01&irec=0)? And Omnico still hasn't been thrown out after all? Say it ain't so!

Governor Sutiyoso chided PT Jakarta Monorail (JM) on Monday over its sluggish progress in the construction of two monorail lines in the capital, which are scheduled to be completed in the middle of 2007. He said JM should immediately complete its financial closing by securing investors or face termination of its agreement with the city administration.

"PT Jakarta Monorail has promised that the financing of the two lines of the monorail construction would be concluded in September, but until now we have not received any report about the progress," Sutiyoso said on Monday. [...]

Sukmawaty said Friday's meeting would, among others, decide whether Omnico would still stay with JM by increasing its shares to or leave JM to be replaced by another company.

jpatokal

05-01-06, 08:53 AM

From Jakarta Post (http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailcity.asp?fileid=20060104.G04&irec=3):
The internal rift in monorail construction consortium PT Jakarta Monorail has (JM) been mended, easing the way for it to finalize financial backing for the project.
...
The ITC was firm in its decision to pick the local consortium as it will employ cheaper wheels-on-rails technology at $496 million, instead of the magnetic levitation (Maglev) technology of Rotem, valued at $826 million.
...
The company signed an agreement on Nov. 30 with local and foreign investors to finance the construction of two monorail lines, the first phase of which was originally scheduled to open in late 2007. Ruslan refused to disclose the identities of the investors, saying names would be given upon the completion of the "financial closing", to be signed by the end of January. The JM had agreed to sort out the financial details of the project before Jan. 31.

A few weeks ago they were actually at work again, adding new pylon stubs to Jl. Kuningan. A few "Jakarta Monorail coming your way" worksites also appeared next to Mal Ambasador on Jl. Prof. Dr. Satrio.

jpatokal

09-01-06, 01:54 PM

From today's Jakarta Post (http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailcity.asp?fileid=20060109.G01&irec=0):
"The Jakarta administration is ready to kick off the project but it depends on the Minister of Transportation (Hatta Radjasa) as to whether or not he will go ahead with the project," Sutiyoso told reporters over the weekend.
...
The MRT, which would have the capacity to carry about 33,000 passengers per hour, is expected to be integrated with the existing busway corridors and the under-construction monorail. The busway can transport around 60,000 commuters per day while the monorail is projected to carry up to 270,000 passengers daily.
...
Transportation experts have repeatedly said that an MRT would be the most effective solution to chronic congestion in the capital although it would be extremely costly.

However, many doubt the MRT project will be successful given the many problems facing its construction -- a tangle of underground power, water and telecommunication networks, unstable soil structure and recurrent flooding in the city.

The long-talked about MRT was first approved in 1974, and looked like it would materialize in 1995 after the Japanese government gave a commitment to help finance the project. But, the financial crisis that hit the country in mid-1997 forced the government to postpone it.

jpatokal

09-01-06, 02:08 PM

A proposal (http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailcity.asp?fileid=20060109.G02&irec=1) to expand Jakarta's woefully neglected commuter rail network. I'm not sure it makes much sense though, starting with this bit of cognitive dissonance:
"The concept is there. The development (of the new railway line) is only a matter of time ... We hope investors will be interested in the project," the spokesman for state railway company PT KAI's office in Jakarta, Akhmad Sujadi, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
...
The plan underlines the importance of developing the city railway network with the improvement of commuter lines, such as doubling the tracks along the Serpong-Tanah Abang line. Sujadi said the double-track construction would start early next month.
Double-tracking in itself is a very good idea though, as the current network is mostly single-track which causes massive overcrowding and constant delays. Somewhat stranger is this onion layer idea, also proposed for Bangkok's buses:
According to Saman's plan, which needs over Rp 5 trillion (US$500 million) for its construction, commuters from satellite cities would be able to access the city railway network only at particular stations.

For example, Bogor and Bekasi passengers would have to change trains at Manggarai station to catch a train on the city railway network, while Serpong passengers would change trains at Tanah Abang, and commuters from Tangerang would change at Duri Station.
Have any cities actually implemented this? The only one I can think of is Tokyo, whose Yamanote-and-feeders system is admittedly tried and tested to work with 30 million people...

jpatokal

17-02-06, 10:33 AM

Three cheers for high oil prices and rich Arabs (http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=135595&Sn=BUSI&IssueID=28334)!
Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) has agreed to fund the Indonesian capital's first monorail project, removing financial hurdles that have dogged the plan from the outset. DIB will provide credit worth $500m to finance the project, Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso said, according to the Kompas daily.

jpatokal

17-02-06, 12:23 PM

A better article here (http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailcity.asp?fileid=20060217.H03&irec=5) (will break Feb 18, 2006):
[consortium chief director Ruslan] Diwiryo said construction work would start at five locations. "Three in South Jakarta, including a station, and two on Jl. Asia Afrika, Central Jakarta. Workers will be hard at it around the clock to speed up the project," added Sutiyoso.

Employing Siemens technology worth US$460 million, total funding for the project reaches US$650 million.
So ROTEM is out and the Siemens-BUKAKA-homebrew consortium wins the day.

numpty

18-02-06, 05:56 AM

there was somethin on tv7 news last night about this, they interviewed the chief engineer and sutiyoso all looking grand in hard hats but my indo wasn t good enough to foollow what was being said

A better article here (http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailcity.asp?fileid=20060217.H03&irec=5) (will break Feb 18, 2006):

So ROTEM is out and the Siemens-BUKAKA-homebrew consortium wins the day.

jpatokal

27-03-06, 12:36 PM

Did the Dubai loan actually come through? After the previous article the Dubai bank said no it didn't, the governor backtracked, but last week they said it's been sorted out and signing will happen Real Soon Now(tm). And here's another bucket of cold water (http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailcity.asp?fileid=20060327.G02&irec=2):

But a public transportation expert says the short routes currently planned for it and stiff competition among existing public transportation along the routes suggest a bleak future for the yet to be completed monorail.

"I predict the monorail project will suffer a severe loss. The demand is just not there to cover all the investment," Darmaningtyas, of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
...
The survey found that the number of commuters from Kampung Melayu to the Kuningan area reached 1,500 people at peak hour and around 15,000 people for the whole day. Most of these commuters are traveling to nearby destinations, preferring to take public minivans serving the route, which cost around Rp 2,000. A ticket for the monorail on the same route will be Rp 7,500 for one trip.
...
A transportation expert from the Pelangi Indonesia Foundation, Andi Rahmah, added that it would be impossible for the monorail operator to meet the target of 270,000 passengers per day required to cover daily operational costs.
...
Darmaningtyas said the monorail in Kuala Lumpur had transported 80,000 people a day in its first three months. "The number of passengers eventually decreased by half as they preferred to take a more accessible mode of public transportation."
...
Mobility is not the only thing we need in our life. We also need space to breathe. What the city administration must do is to make the most of the already available public transport, such as the city train," he said.
I agree in the sense that the monorail is unlikely to be profitable until it has a significant network of other lines to feed into (and the BRTs aren't going to cut it), and the routing of the lines also seem a bit odd, but it's equally obvious that the lines are desperately needed.

The commuter trains are politically tough: on a bang-for-buck basis it would be a no-brainer to plough the money into improving them instead, but perversely enough the fact that they're currently so crappy and allow loads of free-riders means that they're very useful for the poor and any improvement would actually cause a backlash...!

jpatokal

01-04-06, 06:29 PM

Cancelled, but whodunnit? (http://www.antara.co.id/en/seenws/?id=10741)

State Minister for National Development Planning Paskah Suzetta said last week in Jakarta that the government had cancelled the proposed projects to be financed by Japan.

The cancellation was was made as Japan had refused to change the nature of the loan it would give to them from tied to untied to make the Indonesian government able to use more local contents in the project. ...

The Vice President said Japan was prepared to finance the development of the MRT project on condition that the project would use Japanese products.

In the meantime, the Indonesian government would reject the financing offer if Japan set such a condition.

"We reject such a condition. It would be better to put it on an international tender so that the project would be cheaper and better," Kalla said.

jpatokal

01-04-06, 06:31 PM

And a somewhat more incisive article from the Jak Post (http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaileditorial.asp?fileid=20060401.E01&irec=0):
It is not clear what really transpired that made the Indonesian government make a new proposal on the percentage of local funding for the subway. If the use of local technology and materials was the point, then there must be some powerful interests behind the proposal.

Obviously, the government is obliged to ensure it chooses the best available technology and materials for the MRT, while also making sure it gets the best financial deal. But as with many other past examples, there is suspicion about whether the government's objections to the loan from Japan are based on objective economic reasons or because of a conflict of interest among those who are in power or those close to the project.

It is clear there has been a kind of tug-of-war going on between the Jakarta administration and the central government, which is now looking to state-owned companies to finance the subway...

Ganyc

19-04-06, 11:30 PM

Jakarta authorities, state-owned or not, have always bargained for the cheapest deals with foreigners because they are concerned about the impact of costs on poor Indonesians. The Indonesians have been suffering from high fuel costs and they cannot control the fluctuating fuel costs. So, they do not want additional burden from procuring best quality products at very high prices because poor Indonesians cannot afford to pay, unless foreigners construct at very low prices. Jakarta may as well learn from Bangkok how to build MRT.

cbi-solu

13-05-06, 05:00 AM

If this project is still pending for funding, could someone send me the contact info for the heads of department who handles the MRT deal. I would like to look at the details of the deal with respect to providing the funds

jpatokal

02-06-06, 12:23 PM

Governor Sutiyoso said Thursday the monorail project would go ahead, even though it has been argued it violates the 1992 Railroads Law. ... Earlier on Tuesday, Transportation Minister Hatta Radjasa, as quoted by Kompas, said the administration's decision to build the monorail system ran against the prevailing law. Under the Railroads Law, the central government has the authority to manage rail transportation, which would include the monorail. (Ed. So the Jakarta city government is not allowed to manage!)

...

Despite Sutiyoso's optimism, questions remain about the project's financing after the joint venture, PT Jakarta monorail Consortium (JMC), once again failed to get financial backing for the project before its deadline. Sutiyoso had warned the consortium in early January to get financial backing by Jan. 31, or its agreement with the city administration would be terminated.

Since the consortium failed to meet the deadline, Sutiyoso gave them another respite until the end of May.

"I haven't had the time to meet them (JMC). I have been very busy," he said, when asked about the unsettled financing problem.

Jakarta Monorail director Sukmawaty Syukur said the consortium would announce its agreement with the Dubai Bank Consortium within two weeks.
These guys make Suvarnabhumi's planners look competent :eek:

jpatokal

12-07-06, 08:25 PM

And the shadow puppet show continues (http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20060712.L02&irec=3)... from the Jak Post:
The central government is set to soon issue a guarantee for the creditors financing the Jakarta monorail project, the capital's governor, Sutiyoso, said Tuesday.

Speaking at the presidential offices, Sutiyoso said the government was on the verge of agreeing to provide a guarantee to the Dubai Islamic Bank for the sake of ensuring that the crucial transportation project would be completed. ...

The Dubai Islamic Bank, said Sutiyoso, was willing to extend some US$650 million in loans to finance the construction of the monorail subject to the Indonesian government providing a guarantee in the event of a cash default or other disruption to the repayment of the loan.

This is kind of like Suvarnabhumi opening "soon" or the BTS extensions being "on the verge of" being built. :mad:

jpatokal

12-08-06, 03:19 PM

And the sorry saga continues...
The Jakarta administration is considering a new financial scheme proposed by PT Jakarta Monorail (JM) as an alternative to the US$500 million blanket guarantee currently needed to continue the monorail project's construction. ...

JM, a consortium of transportation developers, wrote to the city administration proposing the alternative to the yet to be issued blanket guarantee requested by prospective investor the Dubai Islamic Bank.

Under JM's new plan, the city administration would provide a letter guaranteeing the monorail reached its minimum target of 160,000 passengers per day and would provide spare funds to finance 50 percent of that target in the case of a passenger shortfall.

According to JM's calculations, the city needs to allocate US$22.5 million per year for the guarantee, based on an individual fare of Rp 7,500. ...

The uncertainty of the project's financing and the irregular pace of construction work caused Sutiyoso to announce earlier this year that the city would break its contract with JM if the company could [not? -ed.] make the construction completion deadline of 2007.

Sutiyoso has said that in the worst case, his administration could hold a tender or involve the consortium of state and private companies organized for the planned Mass Rapid Transit project.
So the solution after three tenders that were screwed up one way or another? Do it once again! Whee!

Given all this, I was a little surprised to see construction work actively in progress on Jl. Casablance about two weeks ago. They still haven't gotten very far though, although for the first time I could see pillars that were evidently intended for stations... let's hope this doesn't turn into another Hopewell.

Yappofloyd

20-08-06, 03:55 AM

Khun jpatokal, well as you know this project has been a mess from the beginning and it more for a select elite and tourists than offering a real mass transit option. The really dissapointing thing is that the completion of the mono-rail is being prioritised over further development of the planned metro (MRT). So although planned expansion of new BRT lines is speeding ahead and the monro-rail spluttering along, yet metro (MRT) is left on the back burner. I would be surprised even if the new financing and Central Gov support comes through if they meet the deadlines stated.

Govt hatches risk scheme for monorail project Rendi Akhmad Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta 19/08/06

The central government has agreed to support a risk-sharing scheme jointly drafted by the Jakarta administration and PT Jakarta Monorail (JM) for the operation of the monorail project in the capital. Vice President Jusuf Kalla said Friday that the Finance Ministry would immediately issue a letter of support for the project after the city administration settled its contract amendment with JM over an equal risk-sharing scheme. "The letter of support is needed so that the administration can secure an overseas loan. But it should first settle its contract with JM related to a scheme to pay financial costs if there is a shortfall in monorail passengers," said Kalla.

The central government, he added, had agreed to the proposal from the city administration and JM that they would pay a financial guarantee for the project on a 50-50 basis if passenger numbers were below the targeted 160,000 per day. "If the passengers are below the targeted level, then the city administration should guarantee 50 percent of the shortfall. But the guarantee should not exceed US$25 million per year within five years after operation." The former businessman said the project was worthy of support from the government because it was aimed at reducing notorious traffic jams in the capital, which would eventually help reduce pollution and stress in the capital.

The Finance Ministry is currently awaiting the completion of the contract amendment, which would include the risk-sharing scheme, before it issues the letter. However, it remains unclear until now on the comprehensive details of the letter other than a clause stipulating that it will not guarantee in any way costs for the project investments. The central government has refused to provide a sovereign guarantee required by the Jakarta administration for JM to secure some $500 million in loans from the Dubai Islamic Bank, unless the administration agreed to re-tender the project to comply with the prevailing procurement regulations.

Kalla said the support from the Finance Ministry was deemed sufficient to ensure the Dubai Islamic Bank would agree to channel loans to the project, as it met the bank's requirements. Governor Sutiyoso directly appointed JM, a consortium of several private sector firms, to manage the project. The latter will serve the business and central districts of the city through two lines, one 14.3 kilometers in length and the other 13.5 kilometers. JM has signed contracts with several companies, including infrastructure firm PT Bukaka Trans System to provide rolling stocks. Bukaka is controlled by Kalla's family.

When contacted for comment, JM's director of project developer Sukmawati Syukur told The Jakarta Post that the project would meet planned targets in line with the government backing. According to the contract, Sukmawati said, the green line, running from the Kuningan business district to main thoroughfare Sudirman, would be finished by the end of 2007, while the blue line, running from Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta, to Roxy, West Jakarta, would be ready by mid-2008. "A yet to be issued letter of guarantee from the Finance Ministry will secure the financial loans urgently needed by the project," Sukmawati said.

jpatokal

20-09-06, 08:20 AM

A good summary from Reuters (http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/JAK245945.htm), including new (still optimistic) estimates of when the monorail will be ready:

Once financing is sealed, she hopes a 14.8-km (9.2-mile) Green Line serving the glitzy "Golden Triangle" commercial area will open by mid-2008 and a 12.2-km east-west Blue Line by early 2009. The initial targets had been 2007 and 2008 respectively. ...

Walter Hook, executive director of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, favours the rapid bus service with modifications and is no fan of the monorail.

"The service being planned is very badly linked to the mass transit system used by the majority of the population, namely the bus passengers," Hook said by email. His consultancy was involved in planning the bus service and evaluating the monorail project.

He also argues that passenger targets are far too optimistic as monorail fares would be well above the 3,500 rupiah (39 U.S. cents) for bus rides, meaning the monorail may need public cash.

His consultancy backs congestion charges for motorists, while he personally dreams of restoring the cities' rubbish-strewn canals for transport and leisure.

Hook also suggests reintroducing a lighter-weight version of the cycle rickshaw, known as becak in Indonesia, banned in the city for being slow and outmoded despite environmental pluses.

numpty

27-10-06, 07:39 AM

there was something recently in tempo about trumpeted rail air links

not just medan and jakarta but also surabaya and padang as well as yogyakarta. in theory yogya and surabaya shoulc be the easiest as existin rails run pretty close to the airports already

jpatokal

12-12-06, 12:56 PM

It's alive! Or at least slightly less comatose! (http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20061212.A07&irec=6)
The central government agreed Monday to guarantee a fixed return on Jakarta's monorail, paving the way for the city administration to receive a US$500 million loan from the Dubai Islamic Bank.

Governor Sutiyoso said he hoped that the guarantee, made in a decree signed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, meant that Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati would soon issue the blanket guarantee required to secure the bank's investment.

"I have great expectations that this project can be realized soon and solve the transportation problems of the city," he said.
Join the club, bub.

Currently, JM is preparing to take out a bridging loan to resume the project while it waits for the Dubai bank's money to come through. Some Malaysian investors have expressed an interest in providing the loans on short notice.

JM operational director Sukmawati Syukur told The Jakarta Post that the consortium was now working on their financial auditing process to calculate the size of the loan needed.

"We hope that we can finish calculating by the end of the year and start to look for the loan next year," she said.
:eek: :mad: :(

jpatokal

29-12-06, 11:05 AM

Jak Post (http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailcity.asp?fileid=20061228.C03&irec=2):

The City Council has finally approved the administration's plan to make up any financial shortfall in the operation of the monorail project despite mounting objections that it could end up burdening the city budget.

During a meeting of the City Council's special project risk assessment committee Wednesday, the committee recommended the approval of the administration's decision to pay US$11.25 million to the Dubai Islamic Bank, as the potential investor, if passenger numbers fell below 160,000 per day.

Earlier, the central government also agreed to cover the other half of any shortfall, as stated in a presidential decree providing a guarantee for the monorail project.

This guarantee will last for the first five years of the monorail's operation. ...

The city council will send its letter of approval to the Finance Ministry this week so that it can issue the blanket guarantee to the Dubai Islamic Bank.

The bank has said that it would only agree to invest US$500 million in the project if the central government and the administration guaranteed the losses it would have to carry if the number of passengers fell below 160,000 per day.

With the bank's investment, JM will be able to resume construction, which has been halted for a few months.

Another step down a long road... but is that really only US$11.25 million? :confused:

jpatokal

16-02-07, 10:52 PM

Nothing really new, but at least the Japanese are putting money into... a press conference. Reuters (http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2007-02-14T080024Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-287596-1.xml&archived=False):
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia plans to build a mass rapid transit (MRT) system in Jakarta at an estimated cost of 9 trillion rupiah ($992.2 million) in a bid to help reduce traffic congestion, the Jakarta MRT Project Advisory Committee said.

The committee and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) said at a joint news conference late on Tuesday that the project will be partly funded by loans from the JBIC, which includes a 150 billion rupiah loan from the bank for the first stage.

The project, involving both above-ground and underground rail lines, is still in the preliminary stage of feasibility studies by an advisory committee comprised of academic, media and other experts. ...

The MRT, planned to be 14.5 km long with 12 stations running from the north to the south of Jakarta, is expected to start operations in 2014. ...

A monorail system is also under construction, but the project has suffered from funding problems, partners dropping out and general red-tape.

numpty

05-04-07, 11:12 AM

yesterday s jakarta post has city governor sutiyoso claiming the mono rail will be finished in 2008 :D

of course nothing has happeend for a few months construction wise for a few months but supposedly some indo banks want to get involved and work should start again at the end of the month

jpatokal

06-07-07, 10:48 AM

Haven't posted updates in a while because the saga is too depressing. First the Dubai Islamic Bank said they'd finance it once the government guaranteed it, which the government eventually did, but then the Indonesian regulators said they don't support Islamic bonds so the Dubai folks pulled out, and now they're trying to scrounge up local financing. Jakarta Post (http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailcity.asp?fileid=20070705.C02&irec=1):

Monorail developer PT Jakarta Monorail (JM) says the mass rapid transportation development will stay on schedule despite the fact that a local bank consortium expected to partly finance the project has still not finalized the deal.

"We hope our financing scheme agreement with several national banks will be complete this month," JM director Sukmawaty Syukur told The Jakarta Post Wednesday. ...

Governor Sutiyoso had repeatedly criticized ultimatums for JM with the latest one in late June requiring it to find money by October or be replaced by another firm.

Not coincidentally, Sutiyoso's own term runs out in October and the fate of the monorail after that is highly uncertain. Gotta say that I just don't think this is going to happen anymore... :(

GWR

21-08-07, 04:14 PM

Indonesia plans 900-million-dollar mass transit system
JAKARTA -- The Indonesia government is planning to build a mass rapid transit (MRT) system costing 900 million dollars in an attempt to ease congestion in its traffic-choked capital of Jakarta, local media reports said Tuesday.

Construction of the ambitious elevated train project was expected to begin in 2010 and be completed by late 2014, said Fauzi Bowo, Jakarta's deputy governor.

The system would stretch 14.3 kilometres, from Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta to Dukuh Atas in Central Jakarta, Bowo said, adding that the project would be financed by soft loans from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.

"The project will eventually integrate with other transportation facilities, such as Jakarta's busway, monorail and waterway (taxis)," Bowo, who won Jakarta's August 8 gubernatorial election, was quoted as saying by The Jakarta Post.

"Moreover, the project will automatically place Jakarta alongside modern cities such as Hong Kong, New Delhi, Bangkok, Seoul, Tokyo and Singapore," he added.

The MRT trains have an average cruising speed of 26 kilometres per hour and would carry as many as 400,000 passengers a day. Travellers would spend up to 32 minutes travelling one way on the line between Lebak Bulus to Dukuh Atas, which would have seven stations.

The MRT proposal is the latest in a series of projects planned by the Jakarta city administration to address traffic problems. For years, officials have planned to build a subway system, which today exists only on paper, and construction of a citywide monorail has barely begun and is already facing funding problems.

Low water levels in Jakarta's canals caused by drought and solid waste have forced the city administration to suspend its water taxi service, less then three months after it was inaugurated.

Jakarta has more than 12 million residents, and another 6 million live on the city's outskirts, leaving many areas vulnerable to traffic jams. Air pollution and garbage management are also severe problems.

//(Deutsche Presse-Agentur)

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/08/21/regional/regional_30045893.php

Same story in The Jakarta Post:

http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20070821.@02&irec=1

jpatokal

22-08-07, 11:21 AM

Previously (http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=1325). This has been planned for a decade now and I have no doubt that they will still be planning it a decade from now... :(

GWR

01-12-07, 10:57 PM

The picture got changed, but I suppose the caption is still quite informative!
[Photo: Jakarta Post - NEW SERVICE: A Kereta Ciliwung train stops at Karet station, Jakarta, on Friday. A total of 32 new trains equipped with air conditioning will start serving the Manggarai-Sudirman-Tanah Abang-Duri-Angke-Kampung Bandan-Kemayoran-Pasar Senen-Jatinegara route on Monday. JP/J. Adiguna.]

Circle-line train to ease traffic jam

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

An innercity circle train was launched Friday to ease traffic congestion in the capital.

The air-conditioned cars, which run on the Ciliwung Blue Line and can carry up to 400 passengers per trip from Manggarai, South Jakarta, are expected to encourage commuters to leave their automobiles at home.

"(Governor) Fauzi Bowo proposed the idea of operating the train to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, saying it could help solve the traffic problem," Transportation Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal told reporters after officiating the launch ceremony.

State-owned railway company PT Kareta Api has prepared 32 cars for the new line, but currently only four are in use due to a lack of drivers.

"We lack machinists because many of them have retired. But we are now recruiting new ones, so hopefully we can serve more trains, depending on the public demand," said PT KA head of public relations for the Jakarta area, Akhmad Sujadi.

Despite its huge capacity, the train failed to attract passengers on its first day of operation due to a lack of promotion.

In the morning only 12 people bought tickets.

Simon Shamiran, one of the passengers, said he found out about the new train from a newspaper. "I just read about it this morning and I decided to try it," he said.

"The train was five minutes late, but overall, it is cheap, fast and comfortable. I got chilled a little bit because of the air conditioning," he said.

The new train, which is made by PT Inka in Madiun, East Java, uses railway tracks built in 1984. PT KAI operated the circle line service from 1984 to 1987 but closed it down due to a lack of passengers.

Now that the city suffers from chronic traffic, PT KAI is running the service again with some improvements. The new train is fast and comfortable, and patroled by eight security guards who prohibit vendors, buskers and beggars from boarding.

The train departs Manggarai train station in South Jakarta and stops at 13 other stations, taking 58 minutes to run the entire track, said Akhmad.

The train operates Monday to Friday from 6:30 a.m to 9:30 a.m. and from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Jusman said passengers will only have to pay Rp 3,500 for the next two to three months before the official fare of Rp 5,000 is implemented. (dia)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20071201.@02&irec=1

numpty

14-12-07, 06:10 AM

Back in 2006 I quoted this from the Jak Post:

And poking around yesterday, I was shocked to find that they actually completed (http://www.railpage.com.au/f-p897564.htm) the double tracking in May 2007!

So a pretty impressive amount of work for a small sum by public transport standards... but, alas, there's a catch:

I'm hoping there's a zero missing in there, but that's still ridiculously tiny for a city of 20-plus million... :(

i live in serpong but have no idea where the station is!

jpatokal

14-12-07, 04:39 PM

According to an article earlier this week in Jak Post (already deleted from the website), the Circle Line is getting around 2000 pax per day at the moment. :(

Yappofloyd

16-01-08, 11:33 PM

The irony of the highlighted quote below cannot be lost of those who have no where to go and are seeking income in the big city.

Though I have to confess, over the years I have always been perplexed at why people were allowed to live so close to the lines. In my few rides in years past it seemed that some were actually living on the line but would briefly shift when a train, travelling achingly slow for safety reasons, passed.

Angke station squatters begin to dismantle homes The Jakarta Post, Jakarta 16/01/08

Dozens of squatters around Angke railway station in West Jakarta have started dismantling their plywood shelters as state railway company PT Kereta Api plans an area-wide eviction on Thursday. On Tuesday squatters took apart four shelters, while two had been dismantled the previous day. All of around 100 huts in the area are expected to be dismantled by the owners within two days.

Narni, a squatter, said Tuesday it took her husband about four hours to take apart their plywood shelter, which was about 20 square meters. "I have moved my valuables, like television, VCD player and mattress, to an empty warehouse nearby," said the mother of three children. Narni, whose husband sells chicken in a nearby market, said she had not yet found an affordable new place for her family. "I have seen a house not far from here but I don't have enough money to rent it," she said, adding that it cost Rp 3.5 million (US$372) per year.

Narni's neighbor Idris said he built his shelter, which also served as a food stall, in the area in 2005. He said that from the beginning the railway company had warned him of the possible eviction. "People already understand that setting up huts here is illegal and we are ready to leave if the officials evict us at any time," he said. He said he preferred to dismantle his shelter by himself because he did not want officers to bulldoze it along with his belongings such as television and clothes. "Besides, I don't want to argue with the officers during the eviction," he said, adding he would dismantle his shelter tomorrow.

A railway company spokesman, Akhmad Sujadi, said his office planned to deploy around 500 officers to clear the structures around Angke station if the squatters had not dismantled them by Thursday. "We plan to develop a new route carrying passengers from Manggarai in South Jakarta to Soekarno-Hatta airport, passing through Angke station," he said.

The company, which has recently opened new routes in an effort to ease chronic traffic congestion in the city, will start the construction in March. He said his office told squatters in Angke about the eviction plan last month and had issued two warning letters dated Jan. 3 and 14. "We will provide them with a free ride if they want to return to their hometown," he said.

The railway company plans to evict people from illegal shelters around 14 train stations across the city by the end of this year in efforts to meet safety standards that prohibit any construction within 5.5 meters of the railway. Many people have established their shelters as close as 20 centimeters from the railways. After it does away with the illegal shelters, the company will refurbish the train stations and build parking lots. (ewd)

Yappofloyd

20-01-08, 06:55 PM

I took some pictures the other day of the area around Angke station which I will post soon. I have mixed feeling about this process.

Whilst, it is true that many in Jakarta are reluctant to take the trains due to inappropiate conditions (safety, cleaniness and interchangability) detailed in the article. It is not uncommon for the Ekonmi trains to be pelted by rocks by children along the lines. Trains run slow due to proximity of squatters and people wandering the tracks. The need to clear the right of way is long overdue and there seems to be some political will at the moment (perhaps due to the new Gov.s keeness to creat a proper circle line and the new proposed airport line).

However, the poor also have rights and many have lived along the tracks for years and decades and scratched a living on the fringes of the big city where they can. The City appears to be trying to give people notice but the prospect of having your home, your little worldly possessions and community bulldozed in a few hours is obviously extremely traumatic. Particurly, as the City appears not to be doing much to make other arrangements for housing/land elsewhere as is the States obligation.

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/SANY0093.jpg
You can see the area that has been cleared just beyond the fenced platform - southern end of the station

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/SANY0095.jpg
A close up fo the same area

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/SANY0096.jpg
People trying to move their furniture before the whole area was bulldozed

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/SANY0101.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/SANY0103.jpg
On the north side of the station the area immediately adjacent to the track had just been cleared

Angke squatters refuse to leave after eviction January 19, 2008 The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Many squatters were still refusing to leave the area surrounding Angke train station in West Jakarta on Friday after their makeshift houses were destroyed by a team of police and public order officers Thursday. The squatters were evicted from the area as part of a joint effort by state-owned railway company PT Kereta Api (PT KA) and the local administration to revitalize Jakarta's railway tracks.

Hundreds of squatters lived in the area surrounding the station before the operation, with those who have refused to leave using pieces of plywood to make temporary shelters. During the eviction, squatters threw stones at the officers as they pushed forward and started destroying their homes. Four people were arrested in the incident, with one man caught carrying a weapon.

PT KA's head of public relations Akhmad Sujadi said 300 shacks were demolished in the operation Thursday. He said the company planed to return to the area on Jan. 22. "We will evict those who insist on staying and might put up fences to prevent them from coming back," he said, adding that the company also planned to plant trees in the area.

On Wednesday, 210 illegal shacks underneath an elevated railway line in Cikini, Central Jakarta, were also demolished. The city-wide railway revitalization project is being carried out to ensure the safety of train passengers, Sujadi said. He said some squatters had built shacks as close as 20 centimeters from railway lines. Recent reports have indicated that many Jakartans are reluctant to use the city's train services due to poor sanitation at train stations and along railway tracks.

On Saturday, PT KA will clean up the area near Juanda train station in Central Jakarta, Akhmad said. He said the company would also focus on clearing the stretch of track between Angke and Kampung Bandan in North Jakarta as well as between Rajawali and Kemayoran in Central Jakarta.

PT KA said evicted squatters were entitled to free train trips back to their hometowns as well as Rp 100,000 (approximately US$11) if they contacted their district or subdistrict chief. However, Akhmad said only four people had taken up the company's offer for a free train ride since the eviction.

Nasitem and Teguh, a married couple with children and grandchildren, remained on the plot of land their house used to stand on Friday. Teguh has worked in Jakarta as a scavenger since 1973 to support the couple's five children and three grandchildren, who live in Purwokerto, Central Java.

Teguh said he would be ashamed to return to his hometown without any money, so he and his wife decided to stay in the area until they could meet with a PT KA representative. "To be honest, if they gave me Rp 500,000 that would be enough and we would take the free ride home," he said.

Nasitem said she did not mind leaving Jakarta, but would only do so if she could take money home to her children. "I do want to leave. I miss my children and my grandchildren, but I can't go back without any money," she said. Usup, another evicted squatter, was not planning to leave the area in a hurry. "I am not leaving this place. I work here and I live here. What about my furniture?" he asked. (anw)

Yappofloyd

25-01-08, 01:00 AM

A lot of Jakarta rail news in the last week. It is good to see that there is a push to create a Jakarta only rail transport entity seperate from the national PT KA.

Revitalization plan promises better train service City News - January 24, 2008 Adisti Sukma Sawitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Train passengers at Manggarai station in South Jakarta are getting used to uncomfortable waits, with many of them spreading newspapers on the floor to sit out the long gaps between trains. On Monday afternoon the station wasn't crowded, but the few seats were not enough for the hundreds of commuters awaiting their trains. Hamdani of Depok Baru, who uses the express train every day, said he was used to standing at platforms as almost no stations in Greater Jakarta were equipped with enough waiting chairs.

On this day he also sat on the platform as the trains were behind schedule. "I don't mind enduring this hardship, because I'm already used to sitting on the floor in the train, and it is much better than enduring zillions of traffic jams to get to my office," said the employee of a private company in South Jakarta.

It has been love-hate relationship between passengers and the city's train network. As one of the most extensive transit systems linking the city to its neighboring regions, it has been the answer for many residents tired of traffic jams. But passengers endure glitches in the service.

Delays are frequent and trains not always well-maintained. Some riders have to struggle to get to their trains as most stations in Greater Jakarta are not equipped with sufficient parking space. "I need to wait for my husband to drop me at the station early in the morning and pick me in the afternoon as there is no parking lot here," said Nina Wahyuni, a researcher at an institute in Menteng, South Jakarta, who travels by the 6 a.m train from Bogor to Sudirman station every day.

The number of passengers on state-owned railway operator PT Kereta Api (PT KA) trains in Greater Jakarta has dropped in recent years as services have scarcely improved despite the increasing fare for all train classes. From 117 million passengers in 2002, the company was down to 100 million in 2005. However, as roads gets increasingly congested every year, the central government and the Jakarta administration have renewed their hope in using the network to ease traffic.

A train law passed last year obliges PT KA to split its authority to private firms or local governments to improve services. The law ordered that after a transition period lasting until 2009, every region could operate its own train service, with PT KA staying on only as the controller of railway network.

The privatization plan has pushed the rail company to make major changes to its networks, and to target raising the number of daily passengers in Greater Jakarta from about 290,000 in 2006, or 1.75 percent of area's 16 million total commuters, to 390,000 by 2010. It has conducted a series of evictions along the rail tracks to keep trains from delays and accidents.

The company has also increased cars for several routes like Depok-Manggarai as well as revitalized several abandoned lines like the Ciliwung Blue Line that traverses the inner-city. The inner-city line from Manggarai station to Jatinegara station in East Jakarta last operated in the 1980s. It was closed within a few years as it attracted very few passengers.

The company also plans to redesign the network by making the Manggarai station the central hub for lines from eastern and southern Jakarta, thus avoiding conflicts with the increasing number of train cars operating in Greater Jakarta. Once the station is reconstructed, no train from southern outskirt of Jakarta will travel directly to Kota station in West Jakarta.

Spokesman for PT KA's Greater Jakarta division Akhmad Sujadi said a lack of attention from the central and local governments was the main reason for the network's problems. "Road-based transportation has outpaced the train network in the past decades while the Greater Jakarta division was trapped as only a small unit within the company," he told The Jakarta Post.

The division had to make decisions only with the approval of the company's central management, he said, effectively handcuffing efforts to set tracks and improve services for decades. "Most of the tracks in Greater Jakarta are Dutch-inherited, built for trade activities, so some tracks do not match the commuting patterns today," Akhmad said.

One of the idle tracks links Kota to Tanjung Priok. Several parts of the track were covered by semi-permanent settlements. Company-built lines include the Depok-Bogor line and the double-track linking Tanah Abang in Central Jakarta to Serpong in Tangerang.

In 2000, the division was given greater autonomy, but its income still goes directly to company headquarters, with the division receiving its budget from the larger unit. "We are trying so hard to improve our services, but of course it will take a while before we really meet people's expectations," said Akhmad.

Annual passengers and ticket sales of PT KA's Greater Jakarta division
Year Passengers Ticket sales
(in millions) (in billions of rupiah)
2002 117.86 119.26
2003 102.04 156.41
2004 100.39 169.12
2005 100.96 186.51
2006 104.58 205.86Source: Jakarta In Numbers 2007

Yappofloyd

25-01-08, 01:05 AM

PT KA red tape: A fork in Jakarta line? City News - January 24, 2008 Adisti Sukma Sawitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A split has been planned in the Indonesian National Railway Company (PT KA) since 2000, with its Greater Jakarta Division. It has long been suggested that the division, which has served an average of 65 percent of the company's annual 160 million passengers, could not be managed properly by a centralized unit and had no power to make its own decisions. But PT KA has not made much progress at the junction, with several legal and political hurdles on the tracks.

Train observer Taufik Hidayat of Indonesian Railway Watch said the central government was simply not paying enough attention to the Jakarta city train network. He criticized the government and PT KA for not having any plans to develop the network as the backbone of land transit. "There has been no long term development goals until now, as if it has no past and future," Taufik said.

Revitalization paths have always been short-term, and project based. "The plan to split with the Greater Jakarta division has been scheduled since the 1980s but things have hardly changed," he said. PT KA management's poor capacity had plunged the public service into a shabby condition, Taufik said.

He cited, as an example, that the company had never openly stated its annual expenditure to the public. It had only stated their income but never really explained where all the money was spent, he said. Taufik said the company received some Rp 450 billion (US$47.4 million) in funding from private firms in Indonesia last year, through the Public Service Obligation (PSO) scheme, but has not explained where that money went.

PT KA spokesman Syaiful Echwan confirmed that the company had received the money but had declined to state it publicly since it was still conducting an audit of last year's accounts. He also declined to divulge the company's financial statements, saying the company was busy with the audit and budgeting for next year. Syaiful only mentioned that the total budget for the revitalization of the national train network was Rp 19 trillion.

He said the Greater Jakarta Division would receive a significant portion of the budget since it had the highest profits among other divisions. "We are still calculating the exact allocation," Taufik said. Syaiful said PT KA was prepared to support the government's plan to split the division. (JP/Adisti Sukma Sawitri)

Yappofloyd

06-02-08, 05:19 PM

^, there is no way that the airport line will be ready next year. The recent flooding of the network, and the corridor to the airport, highlights that the line will require proper engineering.

Greater Jakarta train network to be back on track Thursday The Jakarta Post 06/02/08
Several train services suspended due to flooding in the capital last Friday are expected to recommence Thursday, a state railway official said. The economy service, the Benteng Express and the Cisadane train, all of which travel between Tangerang and Kota, are expected to be operational again Thursday.

However, the Ciliwung Blue Line service between Manggarai and Jatinegara is expected to be out of action for a bit longer. Akhmad Sujadi, the head of public relations in Jakarta for state railway operator PT Kereta Api (PT KA), said trains were unable to travel between Kalideres and Bojong in West Jakarta as supporting stones under the railway lines had been washed away by the floods.

He said a section of railway line between Kalideres and Rawa Buaya had been the worst affected. "We cannot recommence train services before the stones have been replaced. It would be too dangerous," said Akhmad, adding that PT KA started replacing the stones Monday. The floods that inundated parts of Jakarta last weekend forced many people, including Rawa Buaya residents, to evacuate their homes. However, rather than staying in shelters provided by the administration, many residents have set up tents on the railway line.

Akhmad said the government would fix the railway tracks as quickly as possible. "As of Tuesday, 70 percent of the damage had been repaired. We will try to finish repairing the tracks Wednesday and begin to run trains the following day," he said. "But we will not be able to fix damage to train tracks in the Pesing area because many flood victims are sheltering too close to the railway line." He said PT KA would work with Pesing officials to evict the flood victims.

Akhmad said he was unsure when the Ciliwung Blue Line train would operate again as it depended on the weather. The Kampung Bandan and Angke railway stations in North Jakarta were still flooded with 17 centimeters of water Tuesday. "If it doesn't rain for a while, we hope the service will be operational again soon," he said. Akhmad said PT KA suffered significant financial losses due to the floods.

"As of Monday, we had suffered around Rp 700 million (approximately US$75,400) in losses. We spent Rp 400 million repairing tracks and the rest was loss of income," he said. Commuters have also suffered in recent days due to the floods. "I have been walking from my home in Kalideres to my workplace in Bojong. It takes around one hour. Walking is tiring. I hope the government fixes the railway tracks quickly," Dedi, a parking attendant, said.

Dedi said he usually travels on an economy train from his home to the shopping center where he works, which is about six kilometers away. He said he prefers the train to other forms of transport because it is cheap and fast. "Compared to other forms of public transport like buses, trains are more practical. It only takes me five minutes to get to work and I don't have to deal with traffic jams," he said.

Mirna, a shop attendant in Mangga Dua, West Jakarta, agreed. "I'd rather take a train than a bus because it's faster. It takes around 25 minutes to travel between Kalideres and Kota station, which is near my workplace. But now I have to take several different busses, which takes about two hours," Mirna said. "I usually spend Rp 1,000 on a train ticket. However, at the moment I have to spend around Rp 6,000 per trip," she said. (trw)

GWR

12-02-08, 11:22 PM

Roof top riders get sprayed, fined

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Railway operator PT Kereta Api caught more than 500 illegal passengers across four train stations on Monday as part of its train riding discipline month, the company said.

With the help of police, military and security officers, company officials fined offenders between Rp 7,500 (US$0.8) and Rp 25,000, or five times the fare, and confiscated identification cards.

Nine "roof riders" -- illegal passengers who chose to sit on the top of train cars -- were caught during the operation.

The company had threatened to spray all roof riders with a liquid dye, but officials managed only to do this at Manggarai and Serpong stations.

At other stations, officials asked roof riders to come down so they could be informed of the railway rules before being fined.

PT KA's head of public relations for Greater Jakarta Akhmad Sujadi said the company would reassess their liquid dye spraying initiative.

"We are going to move our operation bases to other stations and also position our personnel in better spots to catch the roof riders," Akhmad said.

"Roof riders were acting as if they own the trains," he said.

Six roof riders were sprayed at Manggarai station, Detik reported.

A worker, two students and three unemployed people had to hand in their identification cards and sign letters to state they would not repeat the violation.

As a train left Djuanda station Monday afternoon, packed with thousands of passengers, some were seen climbing onto the roof.

At the same station, passengers Supriyatna, 59, and his wife Ani, were questioned for riding inside the engineer's cabin.

"I didn't know that it was forbidden," Supriyatna said.

"I usually sit there when there's no more space on the train.

"I only have to pay another Rp 1,000 if there is an officer."

Another regular passenger, Iwan, said the company needed to add more cars to serve the number of passengers.

"It's not that we refuse to pay," Iwan said.

"The price is no problem, but there's just not enough space and we don't want to be late for work."

Iwan said during peak hours commuters had to struggle hard to find a place on board.

Lack of space forced passengers to use the engineer's cabin, hang onto an entrance door or ride on the roof, he said.

Vendors, beggars and buskers also take places on board and are classified as illegal passengers. (dre)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20080212.@02&irec=1

Yappofloyd

14-02-08, 02:03 PM

An earlier article, I saw some footage of this two nights ago showing a Kereta Api employee wearing a spraypack (similar to spraying insecticide) at a station. As a train pulled into the station he began spraying guys, on the roof or hanging onto the back of the train. They were then pursued by security officials.

It really looked a bit dangerous as the first reaction of those being sprayed was to jump off the train and scatter across the tracks. I am sure in time, someone will be hit by another passing train or suffer injuries trying to get away. Obviously, the main issue is that there is just not enough train services during peak hour. Perhaps PT KA need to employ station attendants to push people into the train similar to japan.

Spray of dye the latest weapon against illegal train roof riders City News - February 09, 2008 The Jakarta Post

The risk of being electrocuted by 1,500 volts or falling from a speeding train don't scare off roof riders, but PT Kerata Api is hoping spraying them with water and dye will. After several failed attempts to discourage roof riders over years, the state owned railway operator company PT KA will douse roof riders with colored liquid from next Monday.

The measure is part of a month-long campaign to encourage train riding discipline, dubbed "Bulan Tertib Berkereta 2008". One of the aims of the program is to deter illegal passengers on board and on the platform. "We will put a strict ban on vendors and we will use a unique approach for roof riders," public relations head for Greater Jakarta, Akhmad Sujadi, said Friday. Serpong, Bekasi, Jatinegara and Manggarai stations will take part in the initial stages of the program.

Security personnel at each station will spray roof riders with dye as they depart to mark them. At their destination station, other personnel can easily identify them as having traveled on the roof of the train. "We will confiscate their IDs and give them a ticket. We will send a copy of the ticket to their family, their local neighborhood unit head, their employer, or, if they're students, their headmasters," he said. The offenders will have to write a letter regarding their behavior, to be signed by the person who received their ticket. Akhmad said they could get their ID back by bringing in the letter.

The train, the cheapest and fastest form of transportation in the city, attracts a lot of commuters but its limited capacity means many choose to sit on the roof during peak hour. Roof riding is dangerous, killing 53 people in the past two years. The Railway Affairs Law states that illegal passengers are subject to a maximum Rp 15,000,000 (US$1,600) fine or a three-month jail term.

The Greater Jakarta division operator served around 320,000 legal passengers in 410 trips each day in 2007. With a lowest fare of Rp 1,000, it generated revenue of Rp 248 billion. The company predicts illegal passengers caused a loss of 25 percent of its revenue. In spite of the danger, roof riding commuters can be seen during peak hour in the morning and in the afternoon

The head of Manggarai station in South Jakarta, Reman Sulaeman, said he hoped the new program would be more successful than its predecessors. "Commitment from management and field personnel is needed, but public involvement is also important," he said. (dre)

Yappofloyd

28-02-08, 12:07 AM

Quite amazing in the highlighted quote that the railway official refused a bribe by the passenger!

Amid criticism, train raid goes on February 23, 2008 The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Ten days after the train travel discipline crackdown began, improvements have been noticed on board and on the platform, but whether the changes will last has yet to be seen. There are now fewer people riding on train roofs or without tickets, but many are skeptical of the crackdown's long-term success. One commuter from Bogor working in South Jakarta, Marwan, 34, said when the operation was over, the illegal passengers would return. "People only care when officers are around," he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Marwan was one of the offenders caught in the operation. "I bought an economy class ticket for Rp 2,500 (US$0.27), but took the air-conditioned economy train, which should cost Rp 6,000," he said. "I tried to bribe the officer, but he refused and fined me Rp 30,000," he said. With the ongoing operation, Marwan said he had to ride in the cabin class he paid for. State-owned railway operator PT KA is conducting the discipline campaign to deter vendors, fare dodgers and passengers riding on roofs and inside the engineer's cabin.

One of Jakarta's biggest train stations, Manggarai, recorded 27 infringements on the first day of the crackdown. The number decreased to less than three and then to none, on following days. Nurcahyo, who is also the moderator for the Greater Jakarta train passengers forum (KRLmania), commutes from Depok to Cawang and back, every working day. During the operation, he said, there were fewer passengers riding on the roofs, without tickets or inside the engineer's cabin.

"I have seen some improvements, but the campaign will only be a success if these changes last," Nurchayo said. Tito, a student who uses trains to get to and from his university in Depok, said he had seen fewer vendors on trains. "They are still around but not as many as there used to be." Some 600 personnel, including police and outsourced security guards, have been involved in the operation.

Fare evasion has become a big problem for Greater Jakarta's railways, causing PT KA to suffer estimated losses of as much as 20 percent of its total revenue. PT KA spokesman Akhmad Sujadi said the campaign had yet to achieve ideal results. "We have had around a 70 percent success rate. Our goal is to be able to completely stop illegal passengers," he said. "After 10 days we still have the problem of people riding on roofs."

The spokesman said the company was currently reviewing the number of violators caught during the operation and evaluating the results of the first 10 days, as the crackdown continued. Akhmad said they would now focus on stations prone to "roof riding", including Tebet and Cawang in South Jakarta, and Cikini and Gondangdia in Central Jakarta.

All four stations are on the Jakarta Kota-Bogor line, which is the city's busiest line during peak hours. "We will continue the crackdown until trains are free of passengers riding on roofs," he said. Manggarai station head Reman Sulaeman said, however, extending the operation would not be a good idea. "The crackdown involves company employees, who also have their daily responsibilities," said Reman.

Since the crackdown, he said, the number of offenders had decreased drastically at his station, but he pointed out that the illegal passenger problem was a matter of public awareness. "Unless people are mindful of their responsibilities as passengers, there's not much we can do," he said. Nurcahyo said the problem involved both sides -- the company and passengers. "Both the company and passengers have their rights and obligations. Let's be professional about it," he said. "As the service provider, the company still has a lot to do." (dre)

jpatokal

01-03-08, 03:01 PM

Quite amazing in the highlighted quote that the railway official refused a bribe by the passenger!

Marwan was one of the offenders caught in the operation. "I bought an economy class ticket for Rp 2,500 (US$0.27), but took the air-conditioned economy train, which should cost Rp 6,000," he said. "I tried to bribe the officer, but he refused and fined me Rp 30,000,"

...and just where do you think that "fine" ended up? :(

Yappofloyd

16-03-08, 01:58 PM

^ in the coffers of PT KA to be 'siphoned' off by senior management at a later date.

Monorail is not the answer for Jakarta but could be part of the package. This project is seemingly becoming another Hopewell.

Monorail fate Opinion - The Jakarta Post 15/03/08
Each and every rainstorm, no matter how brief, brings dread. What time will we get home? When it rains many people become stuck in traffic while others opt to dally in the office until late. This has become the reality of life in Jakarta, a result of inadequate infrastructure and terrible traffic. The failure of PT Jakarta Monorail (PT JM) to find investors for the monorail project is a further blow to efforts to improve public transportation in the capital. Many commuters are relatively pleased with the busway, but many more are still waiting for the promise of improved services.

For motorists, the delayed monorail project, its proposed route marked by massive concrete pillars standing uselessly in the middle of roads, only means yet another source of congestion. The concrete structures have become mere reminders of the hope we had for another option with which to navigate Jakarta. It was four years ago when then president Megawati Soekarnoputri officiated the project's groundbreaking ceremony.

Now the fate of the US$450 million, 27.8-kilometer project is in the hands of Governor Fauzi Bowo and the city councilors. Recently, PT JM announced the failure, after years of effort, to convince investors to put their money into the project, and handed it back over to the city administration early this week.

According to PT JM director Sukmawaty Syukur, the failure came about because a consortium of three state banks -- BRI, BNI 46 and Bank Mandiri -- required the administration's financial participation as a pre-condition for their involvement in the project. A very cautious Fauzi said his administration is not in a hurry to decide on taking part in the project. He even hinted that he would prioritize the continued development of the busway. His caution is understandable because any commitment he makes affects large amounts of taxpayer money -- not only for an early investment in the project, but also for guaranteeing the return of investors' money and covering operational costs if the project misses its revenue targets.

Since the beginning, financing has been the project's main problem, because several studies found it would not be feasible if the monorail only relied on ticket sales. A ticket price of Rp 7,500 (about 79 US cents) per trip is still considered too expensive for the average urban traveler. PT JM, particularly its major shareholder, PT ITC, had tried to find both local and international investors. But it failed to convince them their money would be safe. The central government's decree in support of the project also did not convince foreign banks that initially expressed interest in funding the project. In trying to keep the monorail alive, PT ITC changed partners several times. In 2003, ITC ended an agreement with Malaysia's MTrans Holding, an operator of the Kuala Lumpur monorail, due to differences over financial issues.

ITC later signed a cooperation agreement with a consortium from Singapore, Omnico Singapore Pte Ltd. They set up PT Jakarta Monorail but their partnership did not last long due to a dispute over rolling stock for the cars. Following the split, ITC owned 98 percent of PT Jakarta Monorail's shares, and entrusted the supply of rolling stock to the Indonesia Consortium of Monorail Industries (ICMI), led by PT Bukaka Trans System.

Now Fauzi's say will decide the fate of the monorail. He can stop the project; renew its cooperation agreement with PT JM or open a tender to find new partners in developing the monorail. If completed it would serve the city's business districts, with a 14.3-km line, and another 13.5-km line from Kampung Melayu in East Jakarta to Taman Anggrek Mall in West Jakarta.

Considering the hours we waste in traffic, millions of residents and commuters will suffer if Fauzi stops the project. He needs to find a business partner more capable, both technically and financially, to develop the elevated transportation system in the capital. In the meantime, the city is scheduled to complete five more busway corridors and improve services on the existing corridors. Until then, every rainy night brings to many the prospect of a commute home that takes longer than a typical trip to nearby Bandung in West Java.

City considers reinvesting in monorail Mustaqim Adamrah , The Jakarta Post 13/03/08
Jakarta's administration said it would consider reinvesting in monorail developer PT Jakarta Monorail in a move to encourage local banks to help jump start the city's long abandoned monorail project. But Governor Fauzi Bowo said Wednesday no decision would be made about PT Jakarta Monorail until the developer passed a feasibility study . "I would rather finance a project that I run on my own instead of putting the administration's money at stake in somebody else's project," he said. "I don't know how that person will eventually spend the money." The monorail project has been faced with financing problems for years.

In a meeting at the vice presidential office last July, a consortium of local banks committed to finance up to 70 percent of the $480 million needed for the project via a loan. The remaining 30 percent, or $144 million, would come from private, state and city-owned firms in combined equity. Bank DKI, as well as state-owned Bank Mandiri, Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) and Bank Rakyat Indonesia, are members of the local bank consortium. The administration said it had 10 percent worth of shares of the $144 million in combined equity through city-owned property firm PT Jakarta Propertindo. The central government controls 21 percent of that equity through state-owned construction firm PT Adhi Karya.

Both the central government and the administration had yet to fulfill their commitment to providing a total of $73.44 million, or 51 percent of the equity, as agreed during the July 2007 meeting. The meeting also concluded the remaining 49 percent of the equity, or $70.56 million, would be provided by Jakarta Monorail and other prospective financiers. Jakarta Monorail director Sukmawaty Syukur said she sent the governor a letter last week to ask for the administration's commitment toward the project. "Jakarta Monorail is now giving up the $480 million project to the governor, while waiting for his decision," she said.

Earlier, BNI and Bank Mandiri had expressed their objections to join the project if the administration refused to increase its stakes at Jakarta Monorail. "There is no way we would step into the project if the administration does not have any direct stakes at the company," senior vice president of corporate banking of Bank Mandiri, Suwhono said. He said Jakarta Monorail's existing condition and the project itself were not convincing enough for the bank to consider the project.

City-owned Bank DKI spokesman Romy Wijayanto said the local banks were now waiting for the governor's decision to determine the future of this project. Romy said the consortium had been reluctant during the last meeting because of regulation uncertainty. He said this was despite the government's letter of guarantee for the project. The letter was a request from Jakarta Monorail and potential financiers. The guarantee from the Finance Ministry would provide loss of coverage for Jakarta Monorail if the project failed to meet the minimum 160,000 passengers required, but in return requires the project to be completed by 2010.

Yappofloyd

16-03-08, 02:11 PM

City enterprise set to control MRT system Mustaqim Adamrah , The Jakarta Post 14/03/08

The city administration will set up a company next month to operate a mass rapid transit (MRT) system, three months later than originally planned. Governor Fauzi Bowo said Thursday the administration and the City Council would soon consider a draft ordinance on the establishment of the future company, PT MRT Jakarta, which would become a city enterprise. "The administration will send a draft ordinance on the company (to the council) this afternoon. We'll have the company established by (the end of) April," he said at City Hall. He did not explain why the creation of the company was three months behind schedule.

Fauzi said the draft ordinance would also set up shares in MRT Jakarta. The shares, he said, would be controlled by the administration, through funds it would set aside from the 2008 city budget, and city market operator PD Pasar Jaya. "Pasar Jaya will soon enter the property sector, too," he said.

The administration will seek to recruit for MRT Jakarta "internationally qualified" professionals "soon" after the company is established with assistance from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Fauzi said. In efforts to overcome Jakarta's chronic traffic woes, the administration and the central government are jointly working on the Rp 8.3 trillion (US$905.62 million) project to develop the MRT system.

In the first phase of the MRT development, expected to start construction in 2010, railway lines will be built stretching 14.3 kilometers from Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta to Dukuh Atas in Central Jakarta. The government announced last year the project would use soft loans from the Japanese bank at an interest rate of 0.4 percent per annum for 30 years until maturity plus a 10-year grace period.

The trains planned for use in the MRT project will travel at an average cruising speed of 26 kilometers per hour and will be able to carry 400,000 passengers a day. The trip from Lebak Bulus to Dukuh Atas will take 32 minutes. The MRT system will have seven aboveground stations for the 11 km stretch between Lebak Bulus and Senayan, South Jakarta, and will continue as an underground subway for the remaining 3.3 km to Dukuh Atas.

GWR

14-04-08, 03:42 PM

Monday, April 14, 2008 8:54 AM
By The Way: Taking hold on the crammed Depok-Jakarta train
Sun, 04/13/2008 12:24 PM

As a girl growing up in the suburb of Depok, the annoying transportation vehicles that I usually dealt with were angkot, ojek and sometimes becak, as I only ever had to go a few kilometers in the small city.

Until high school, I only had to complain about how rude the angkot driver was, or how expensive taking ojek was, or how sometimes I couldn't find becak -- during Friday prayer times -- to take me to my friends.

However, now that I am older and travel further afield, I have to face the economy-class train, which brings with a whole new set of reasons for complaining.

Here's the thing, my first experience with taking the train was during my second semester in college. I wasn't so motivated back then to go to Cikini, Jakarta, because I had to take the train with some classmates to go to planetarium as part of the midterm exam in my Greek mythology class.

I always remember that day. I wasn't all that happy about having to go to the planetarium, but I was excited that it was going to be my first time taking the economy-class train from Depok to Jakarta. I figured that I would have to pass 12 train stations to get to Cikini, and that the trip should take about 45 minutes, ideally.

But what I faced was not such an exciting first experience. After waiting for the train for about 30 minutes, I was bummed by the fact that we -- six of us -- couldn't have any seats; in fact we were actually not sitting or standing at all.

The train was so jam-packed and we were so crammed in with the other passengers, we literally couldn't move any parts of our bodies. The air reeked, sweat was dripping everywhere, the train moved slowly, and I was exhausted by the time we got off the train, because I had been constantly trying to keep me and my friends safe from pickpockets and other assorted jerks.

Well, that was my first encounter with the orange and silver Bogor-Jakarta Kota economy-class train. Now, a couple years later, I can say I'm a pro.

I understand the patterns of rush hours, so I won't be trapped on a train that feels more like a tin of sardines.

I have also learned to wear a jacket or sweater, so I can avoid contact with sweaty passengers and keep them from passing on their scent to me.

My experiences with trains have been mostly hideous. Yet, I've learned a lot from it too. I believe that the train is the best way for me to see the real Jakarta.

Nobody on an economy-class train can close their eyes to the fact that there are a lot of underprivileged people in the city.

On the train, you have homeless children begging for money; old, handicapped men and women sweeping the train floors, waiting for people's sympathy and money; and working-class residents, talking about their paycheck-to-paycheck lives.

Nevertheless, the train is still on my list of top things to complain about. Who can stand waiting for almost an hour for public transportation that is always chock-full when it arrives, and when you've finally shoved your way on, all it gives you is a view of real life?

-- Annisa R. Beta
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/04/13/by-the-way-taking-hold-crammed-depokjakarta-train.html

Zoowatch

22-04-08, 02:24 AM

Not really about the mass transit of the 2 cities... but an interesting observation from a Jakartan.

http://parvita.wordpress.com/2008/03/29/if-bangkok-can-why-can’t-jakarta/

My last time visiting Bangkok was in 1980. I was 13, had broken arm and was not keen to travel anywhere during vacation. Thanks to my dominant mother she always manage to drag the whole family including my father to fulfill her desire to travel (plus, my Dad was working for Pertamina at that time, of course one should use all the facilities available while you still have power!).

Anyways, I remember Thailand being cheep. It was then cheaper than Indonesia. I don’t quite remember the conversion but I remember my mom taking me to the mall and we bought lots of cute clothes. I also remember the airport was not outstanding, it was quite standard for the 1980s. Of course, we stayed at the Oriental Hotel. The other thing impressive was the traffic. In the 1980s, Jakarta’s traffic was not as bad as today, but Bangkok traffic was unbearable. I remember me and my brother was trying to entertain ourselves by making fun of how the people spoke (mom took care of us then).

Twenty eight years later, here I am, in Bangkok. I have heard from people how Bangkok has developed. Not only Bangkok, but Thailand as a nation. During the monetary crisis in Southeast Asia, Bangkok bounced bank quite fast compared to Indonesia. First, I looked at the airport. Huge airport which reminded me of Frankfurt airport: simple, grey, masculine. But it was nothing that I remembered from the 1980s. My friend Rudy said that the architect was from the Netherland and it tries to imitate Schipol. From outside, it looked big. BIG. I was impressed. The design is quite spectacular. I am not the kind that like concretes and grey pipes and stuff (reminds me of the rig!) but I have to admit that it was anything but ordinary.

Luckily, my friend’s driver picked us up. No traffic. OK, it was early afternoon, but no traffic. Express high way. Well, this is quite different than what I expected! Lots of new buildings and apartments, which means more people. But where are these people? Shouldn’t there be more traffic, because the last time I went there, the traffic was awful. At some streets, it is still congested but still acceptable because it was during rush hour. And still moving.

Another thing I found out is that they have BTS (Bangkok Transportation System). I have to say that it is more pleasant than the MRT in Singapore, let alone the trains in Tokyo and London which can be really packed. BTS is very convenient and takes us almost everywhere easily.

Other than that, Bangkok is also cleaner than Jakarta. I can still walk down the street and jog around my friend’s apartment (well, this is probably biased since she lives in Sukumvit, one of the nicer areas). But I did go jogging along the small river close to where I stayed, which is very much different than the Ciliwung river. I passed by some ‘houses’ or probably equivalent to shack houses like I find in Jakarta, so there are poor people around. I passed through a little street (gang kecil) where kids play around, similar to what I would see in the small kampungs in Jakarta. But much cleaner. They also have the river transportation, just like in London. We used it when we went touring. Although the guides weren’t helping much with the poor English, at least the trip was pleasant. I wonder if we can have that on Ciliwung, but I suppose that we will all be narcosed by the smell of it…

My friend told me that one of the king there at one time was a doctor. At one period of time, education on medics were highly supported. Now Bangkok is one of the places where southeast Asians or even other people from other continents come for medical care, besides Singapore. What amazes me is that there are lots of plastic surgeons (well, it is Bangkok after all), but also orthodontics there. I know couple of my fellows in my previous gym went to get their boob or nose jobs there. Then the next emperor seems to be into agriculture, therefore the agriculture went booming. I tasted the fruits there, one that impressed me was the mango. It is different than the mangoes here, and I suppose there has already been engineering involved in producing high quality fruits. Lets leave the rice, the rice is extremely good quality and that is nothing new about it.

I was impressed by Bangkok and how it turned out to be after almost 30 years. I guess it is because the government or the people in power think about long term plans. Compared to Indonesia, where everybody thinks short term and none of the projects comes to reality, Bangkok seems to be doing very well. I suppose when the economic crisis hit, Thailand probably felt the effect but stood up quickly because they have smart people who are dedicated and have high nationalism in developing the country.

Within 30 years, Jakarta has also developed lots of things but it still seems like a chaos. Traffic and flood has never ever resolved and the development of the city is poorly planned. Trashes everywhere and bad smell all over the river. No sidewalks for people, sidewalks are used by people selling on stools. I think I am not overreacting comparing Bangkok and Jakarta, because in 1980s these two cities were pretty much having the same problems. But look at how Bangkok evolved. I think the key word is education. The government probably care about the education very well that the medical and agricultural world became developed there. That is a great country, and you can just tell that the quality of the people in Bangkok are better than those in Jakarta (except for one thing: difficult to communicate in English because some of them even don’t read latin…they just read the Sanskrit alphabet).

Bangkok trip was good. It is good to see how other countries cope within 30 years and maybe we have to learn from them on transportation system, instead of going far away to Bogota to have comparison study on the busway. Rudy and I talked about our country quite often, and finally we just sang part of the national anthem (changed the Hiduplah to…), “…Itulah Indonesia Raya…”.

GWR

06-05-08, 01:22 PM

City enterprise set to control MRT system Mustaqim Adamrah , The Jakarta Post 14/03/08

The city administration will set up a company next month to operate a mass rapid transit (MRT) system, three months later than originally planned. Governor Fauzi Bowo said Thursday the administration and the City Council would soon consider a draft ordinance on the establishment of the future company, PT MRT Jakarta, which would become a city enterprise. "The administration will send a draft ordinance on the company (to the council) this afternoon. We'll have the company established by (the end of) April," he said at City Hall. He did not explain why the creation of the company was three months behind schedule.

...........

MRT project slated for April 2009
Mon, 05/05/2008 11:23 AM | City

JAKARTA: Governor Fauzi Bowo said Sunday the first phase of mass rapid transit (MRT) or subway project would begin construction in April 2009.

The first phase of the subway will run from Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta to Dukuh Atas in Central Jakarta.

"I'm sure the construction won't be interrupted by the general election because we have it scheduled," Fauzi told reporters.

On May 5, the administration will complete a bylaw to determine the legal status of PT MRT, the company to lead the project. The city administration is now the majority shareholder of the company.

Currently, the only investor interested in financing the system is Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).

Fauzi said the administration would sign a letter of agreement with JBIC as soon as possible.

According to Fauzi, JBIC had also discussed the possibility of the subway project's second phase that will run from Dukuh Atas to Kota, West Jakarta.

"Besides a huge capacity, the subway is also quick, which will meet the needs of Jakartans. It's also space and energy efficient," he said. -- JP
http://www.thejakartapost.com/node/168105

Yappofloyd

07-05-08, 01:30 PM

Perhaps not quite yet....

City Council delays passing MRT bylaws Mustaqim Adamrah , The Jakarta Post 05/07/2008

The City Council has delayed approval of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system draft ordinance, which was scheduled to be passed Monday. Two factions of the council requested a deadline extension, causing the delay.

The factions of the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Mandate Party (PAN) have asked for more time to examine the proposed financial scheme, Deputy Speaker Maringan Pangaribuan said Tuesday. "They said they needed to determine whether the city budget would be adequate to pay foreign debts for the MRT," said Maringan, who chairs a team tasked to formulate the draft and is also a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

Maringan said he did not understand which figures the two factions needed to review. "The calculations are already stipulated in the draft ordinance," he said. "The two factions have one week to reach a conclusion," he said at the council, adding the team would hold another meeting Monday prior to a plenary session.

Members of the team Achmad Suaidy, of the PPP, and Syamsidar Siregar, of PAN, were unavailable for comment. Syamsidar said previously she opposed the implementation of the MRT system because the public had not been well-informed of the project. "The funding for the MRT, which comes from foreign loans, is an issue because the administration will have to pay the debts using the city budget," she said. "The city will also have to allocate subsidies for the projects operation when it is up and running."

As a consequence, the project would cost the city Rp 1 trillion (US$108.6 million) annually, said Syamsidar, who is also a member of Commission B on economic affairs. She suggested the administration revive existing railways for mass transportation and allocate the money to education and public welfare programs instead.

In an effort to overcome Jakarta's chronic traffic woes, the administration and the central government are working on the Rp 8.3 trillion MRT project using loans provided by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation with an interest rate of 0.4 percent per annum. The government will pay 42 percent of the loans, while the administration will cover the remainder. The administration also plans to allocate Rp 85 billion in subsidies for MRT operations in 2015, when the system is in place.

In the first phase of the development, expected to start construction in 2010, railway lines will be installed stretching 14.3 kilometers from Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta to Dukuh Atas in Central Jakarta.

GWR

24-05-08, 09:10 PM

City to build central public transit hub
Mustaqim Adamrah , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Sat, 05/24/2008 12:23

The central government and the Jakarta administration will reconstruct Dukuh Atas train station in Central Jakarta to become a public transportation hub for those traveling throughout Greater Jakarta, an official says.

Transportation Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal said Friday the Jakarta administration and the ministry were planning to cater to passengers of the busway, train and the future Mass Rapid Transit system.

"Dukuh Atas station will serve as a major transit point for commuters from many different destinations," he said at City Hall.

Jusman and the ministry's train director general, Wendy Aritenang, met Governor Fauzi Bowo and Jakarta Transportation Agency head Nurachman to discuss a number of transportation issues, including the development of Dukuh Atas train station and railway-based transportation mode.

During the meeting, Jusman said, the ministry and the administration promised to speed up the development of a double-track train system from Jatinegara, South Jakarta, to Bekasi, West Java, as well as the revitalization of the railway system to Tanjung Priok port.

He said the government currently faced obstacles in land acquisition for the Jatinegara-Bekasi double-track system that would link Jatinegara to the east.

"We have the money and we hope the administration will find the best solution to settle this problem," he added.

The ministry and the administration will have to acquire a remainder of 13,000 square meters of land out of the 140,000 square meters required, said Wendy.

He said a team was yet to determine the amount of money needed for the land acquisition because the land was partly owned by residents.

The double-track system project, expected to cost approximately Rp 3 trillion (US$321.78 million), is scheduled for completion in 2012.

Land disputes also restrain the ministry from reviving the railway system providing access to Tanjung Priok port.

Wendy said it needed another 6,000 square meters of land out of the 20,000 square meters required to rerun trains for three kilometers directly to the port.

In the meeting, the ministry and the administration also discussed the development of a railway system that would connect the capital to the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, said Jusman.

"The administration hopes the railway system can pass Pluit (North Jakarta) before heading to the airport," he said.

Initially, the system was designed to start from Manggarai train station, South Jakarta, to Dukuh Atas train station and then to the airport.

However, the administration has proposed the trains travel from Manggarai to Dukuh Atas, Muara Angke in North Jakarta, Pluit and finally stop at the airport.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/05/24/city-build-central-public-transit-hub.html

GWR

29-05-08, 12:45 AM

Monorail is not the answer for Jakarta but could be part of the package. This project is seemingly becoming another Hopewell.
Monorail fate Opinion - The Jakarta Post 15/03/08
City considers reinvesting in monorail Mustaqim Adamrah , The Jakarta Post 13/03/08

Wednesday, May 28, 2008 11:31 PM
Govt, WB committed to monorail

Mustaqim Adamrah , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Tue, 05/27/2008 3:16

The central government and the World Bank have expressed their commitment to helping the Jakarta administration revive the constantly disrupted monorail project, Governor Fauzi Bowo said Monday.

He said he and the state minister of national development planning, also chairman of the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas), Paskah Suzetta, had already had "informal talks" to discuss the project's future.

"Pak Paskah said Bappenas would send us a letter stating the central government's involvement in the project after the World Bank releases its recommendations for the project," he said at City Hall.

But he said the administration and Bappenas were yet to discuss the delegation of responsibilities.

The World Bank has recommended the administration carry out a due diligence study before running the project, said Fauzi.

"The World Bank has promised to provide the money in grants for the administration to carry out the study. And Bappenas agrees on that," he said.

The administration has become more involved in the US$480 million project from monorail developer PT Jakarta Monorail (JM) since the company asked it for help.

The project, which was initially scheduled for completion in 2010, has been stagnant for years due to financing problems.

Several foreign investors, including those from Middle Eastern countries, had offered partial investment in the project under Islamic financial schemes, but withdrew when their financial schemes were found to be outside Indonesian regulations.

Recently, two investors from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, said they had talked to JM about their chances to be involved in the project in line with the newly passed Islamic bond law, according to JM director Sukmawaty Syukur.

But City Secretary Muhayat said the administration would not likely grant JM permission to accept prospective investors, citing future risks for the administration.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/05/27/govt-wb-committed-monorail.html

GWR

31-05-08, 09:57 PM

Ciliwung line to support all city transportation
Mustaqim Adamrah , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 05/30/2008 4:41 PM

Governor Fauzi Bowo said Thursday he wanted to make the Ciliwung blue train line a main transportation route in the capital.

Speaking before House of Representative members of Commission V overseeing transportation, housing and infrastructure, he said the railway line "is expected to support all of the city's transportation".

Starting operation on Nov. 30, 2007, the travels in a circle passing train stations in all municipalities.

Fauzi said the administration was developing a railway-based transportation masterplan for the capital. The plan was designed in the 2007 Macro Transportation Framework, which stipulates the guidelines in developing an integrated transportation system.

The administration and the central government are now working on a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project -- a project expected to help soothe chronic traffic jams in Jakarta.

The Rp 8.3 trillion (US$893 million) project, using loans provided by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation with an interest rate of 0.4 percent per annum, is expected to be up and running by 2015.

In the first phase of the MRT project, railway lines will be built stretching 14.3 kilometers from Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta to Dukuh Atas in Central Jakarta.

Fauzi said the administration planned to invest in a future subsidiary of state railway operator PT Kereta Api (KA) as a part of his mission to develop the capital's railway-based transportation system.

The new subsidiary will handle operations in Greater Jakarta to improve the system's efficiency.

Transportation expert Bambang Susantono of the Indonesian Transportation Society said the circular line should serve commuters from Greater Jakarta.

"It should convey commuters who come from Jakarta's outskirts and want to go to the heart of the city."

He said there should be two lines for the service so it could travel both clockwise and counterclockwise.

"The trains should travel more frequently too," said Bambang.

Currently, the line serves hourly from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

KA's public relations head for operational district I of Greater Jakarta, Akhmad Sujadi, said it was hard to operate trains in off-peak hours. "The demand is still low," he said Thursday.

According to Akhmad, the line now serves an average of 1,000 passengers per day. In the first weeks of its operation, the line only served 48 passengers.

The Ciliwung line will pass through:

Central Jakarta -- Sudirman, Karet, Tanah Abang, Kemayoran, Senen, Sentiong, Kramat
North Jakarta -- Angke, Kampung Bandan, Rajawali
South Jakarta -- Manggarai, Mampang
East Jakarta -- Pondok Jati, Jatinegara
West Jakarta -- Duri
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/05/30/ciliwung-line-support-all-city-transportation.html

GWR

03-06-08, 01:11 AM

Monday, June 2, 2008 11:57 PM
KA preparing to offer night train services
Mustaqim Adamrah , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Mon, 06/02/2008 10:20

In response to mounting requests from commuters, state railway operator PT Kereta Api (KA) will soon begin running electric train services to Bogor, West Java and Serpong, Tangerang, at night.

PT KA's Greater Jakarta public relations head, Akhmad Sujadi, said Sunday the plan was prompted in part by the increased fuel prices.

"People, including the (Jakarta) Governor (Fauzi Bowo), have demanded electric train services in the evening, although they have yet to submit formal requests to our company" he told The Jakarta Post.

"Accordingly, we're responding to their requests through our plan," he said.

Akhmad said, however, the company had yet to calculate how many commuters would use the evening services.

The company recorded some 388,000 commuters using its services daily on the two routes last year, with a 30 percent ticket leakage, Akhmad said.

The plans, he said, would be finalized at a meeting today, before officially announcing the additional services on Tuesday morning.

"We still need more discussions to determine scheduling and security details," Akhmad said.

At present, PT KA operates its first trains from Bogor at 4 a.m. and from Serpong at 5 a.m., and the last trains leave Jakarta for Bogor at 9 p.m. and for Serpong at 7 p.m., he said.

Trains run every 15 minutes at peak times, and once an hour around midday, Akhmad said.

The company also needs to improve its ticket sales system, he said.

"We're still figuring out how to sell tickets for evening electric train services, because our ticket booths are usually closed at those times and our ticket officers leave at 7 p.m.," he said.

The company, he said, would charge commuters Rp 6,000 (64 U.S. cents) for a one-way ticket on an evening economy-class air conditioned electric train.

With the government imposing fuel price increases of an average 28.7 percent, almost all public vehicles have resorted to increasing their fares.

Last week, a number of public vehicles in Greater Jakarta held a two-day strike to protest the price increases, causing thousands of commuters to be stranded.

In response to the strike, Fauzi urged PT KA and busway operator TransJakarta to extend their service hours to midnight.

Public transportation observer Tulus Abadi of the Indonesian Consumers Foundation said he encouraged PT KA's plan to provide train services at night time.

"Night train services are necessary indeed, but the company should conduct a feasibility study before going ahead with its plan so it does not suffer losses," he told the Post.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/06/02/ka-preparing-offer-night-train-services.html

GWR

10-06-08, 12:07 PM

Tuesday, June 10, 2008 10:50 AM
For a cool, quite, leisurely ride Ciliwung Blue is just the ticket
Agnes Winarti , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Mon, 06/09/2008 10:29 AM

http://www.thejakartapost.com/files/images/P05-B-1.img_assist_custom.jpg
[Photo: Jakarta Post - EASY RIDERS: Passengers enjoy a quiet, comfortable trip in a Ciliwung Blue train carriage on Thursday. The Ciliwung Blue line differs from other kinds of transportation in Jakarta in that it provides a pleasant, comfortable service, but has few passengers. (JP/Agnes) EASY RIDERS: Passengers enjoy a quiet, comfortable trip in a Ciliwung Blue train carriage on Thursday. The Ciliwung Blue line differs from other kinds of transportation in Jakarta in that it provides a pleasant, comfortable service, but has few passengers. (JP/Agnes W)]

http://www.thejakartapost.com/files/images/ciliwungblue.jpg

Riding in the air-conditioned Ciliwung Blue train which circles Jakarta is almost as quiet as a graveyard.

If you are looking for an hour or two of cool solitude amid the hectic pace and scorching heat of Jakarta, this is just ticket. But, if you're looking for the fastest way to get to work, think again.

On Thursday morning, when The Jakarta Post rode the new train, most of the seats were vacant.

"Most workers want a fast and comfortable way to get to work. This train is comfortable but not fast enough," Sarno, 65, said while on the Ciliwung train with his wife and two grandsons.

"This train can't cater for people who're in a hurry. It only comes once an hour, which means you have to wait too long if you miss it," he said on Thursday.

The one-and-only Ciliwung blue service which has been running since November last year, operates only in weekdays and has a capacity for up to 400 passengers.

The new route was initiated by then deputy governor Fauzi Bowo, to ease the burden of inner-city traffic congestion. Private vehicle users were expected to switch and take the train instead.

The one-way circle line starts at Manggarai station and travels along a 27-kilometer track which was constructed in the Dutch colonial times.

PT Kereta Api (KA) Greater Jakarta division's public relation head Akhmad Sujadi said the line now served an average 1,000 passengers a day, while in its first weeks of operation it had only served around 48.

The official ticket price is Rp 5,000 (53.47 US cents), but passengers currently only have to pay the promotional price of Rp 3,500.

Eva, a resident of Ciputat who was picking up her niece and nephews at Pasar Senen station, said the train was "nice, cool, and not too crowded."

"Passengers mainly want co