The city Jakarta administration plans to introduce monorail train in a bid to support of macro scheme of transportation system (MSTS) in the capital city of Jakarta. Two foreign investors from Malaysia and Britain are reportedly interested in the project.

“For monorail, there have been private investors who are interested,” City Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso told the press Friday in Jakarta after receiving representatives of PT Indonesia Transit Central (ITC) and PT Adhi Karya, local partner of Mtrans Holdings, Malaysia that has expressed its interest to put their investment here. But he did not mention the investor from Britain.

Governor cited there would be four types of main transportation in MSTS, namely heavy rail (subway), light rail (monorail), bus system (bus way) and water transportation.

ITC is a consortium of PT Adhi Karya, Global Profex Synergy and Radiant Utama together with its foreign partner has prepared US$400 million.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) ITC Ruslan Diwirjo said he only needed permission from the city administration. To date, he said, he had secured permits from Bekasi and Tangerang for the same project.

Ruslan told Sutiyoso saying that if he had secured permit, he would be able to build 22.5 kilometer monorail stretched from Bekasi to Tangerang which pass through Jl Casablanca, South Jakarta.

In response to the offer, Sutiyoso said if it came to materialize, its ticket should be sold cheaper than the impending charge.

In the meantime, Administrative Assistant for Development of the City Jakarta Administration who was accompanying Sutiyoso added there had yet any feasibility study over the project. “So long as it does not deviate from the macro transportation system, the project will go ahead,” he said.

Source: BeritaJakarta.com, June 13rd 2003

In an effort to reorganize overlapping city bus routes, the City Jakarta Communications Office plans to launch a Macro Transportation Scheme in the near future. Head of the City Jakarta Communications Office Rustam Effendi said Wednesday in Jakarta the route organizing is distributed into four categories: main route, branch route, local route, and direct route.

The new system, he said, is to be launched next December. “The transportation system in Jakarta is the worst. I should admit it. Therefore, it is my job to reorganize them,” he said.

Rustam said the main route is those big buses, which are distributed into two: priority bus like bus way with 14 routes and the available regular bus. Branch routes will be Kopaja, Metro Mini, Kowan Bisata, and the like.

Local routes are mikrolet, KWK, and city transport while direct routes those buses directing into Jakarta.

“Bus routes BSD (Bumi Serpong Damai-Red), Lippo Cikarang Bekasi, or Lippo Karawaci are barred to pass through the downtown. The buses will stop at City Metropolitan Police and Blok M,” he said.

Later on, Rustam said, hopefully there are no overlapping routes. Only big buses will pass the main roads, while medium buses will pass through the smaller road. “No more mikrolet in the main roads like Cawang. The routes will be organized, but it will be changed,” he said.

Rustam denied he had issued the new routes as city transport 83 Depok-Pasar Minggu and Kopaja 616 and 606.

Source: BeritaJakarta.com, June 12nd 2003

The City Jakarta Administration eventually filed no objection to take over management of the state owned Jakarta Transportation Company (PPD) following settlement on 5,419 employees’ salary by PT Jamsostek which had given its Rp20.3 billion.

City Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso told the press Tuesday in Jakarta saying that “So far, I have yet to receive an official letter on plan to take over management of PPD from the department of communications or state enterprise ministry.”

Earlier report said that governor Sutiyoso refused to take over the management of PPD after the communications minister stated it could not afford anymore to finance PPD and hinted to the city administration to take over. Sutiyoso said the problem in PPD was complicated adding that he was willing to take over as long as the internal problems were firstly settled down.

After being completed, Sutiyoso expressed his hope to take over the management of PPD that would be combined to the concept of grand design of macro transportation scheme in the capital city of Jakarta. “We will combine it,” he said adding that the program would be integrated with the transportation scheme of Bogor, Tangerang, Depok and Bekasi (bodetabek).

Designing of the scheme of public transportation in Jakarta by the experts of University of Indonesia is still underway.

Source: BeritaJakarta.com, June 11st 2003

City Jakarta Governor has vowed to ban smoking in some given venues that will take effective this year. Certain venues that will be made as a free from smoke among others are public places as offices, malls, tourism spots and public transportation. “It should have been imposed this year. At present, we are looking for the most powerful regulation,” Sutiyoso told Monday in Jakarta.

His remark was in response to the press on his commitment conveyed in a campaign of “A Day without Smoke” in Jakarta.

The ban is meant, he said, to protect those who don’t smoke from smoke of smoker. “It is unfair however they don’t smoke and inhale smoke from smokers. Smokers should be isolated,” Sutiyoso said.

Further he said the regulation could be in the form of gubernatorial decree addressed to the building management that smoker is only allowed to smoke in a given places. Some places have imposed such ban.

Meanwhile chairman of National Commission on Smoke Prevention (KNPMR), Merdias Almatsier said in conjunction with “A World’s Day without Smoke that Indonesians the world’s five biggest smoke consumers. He has set a target to avert a young smoker. Most of them are obsessed with film or model that is smoking. Therefore this year’s theme campaign is “Tobacco Free Film, Tobacco Free Fashion, and Action.”

Merdias also agreed to impose a ban on smoking in a certain places. But there should a powerful legal ground in a bid to avert protests. Even, he suggested, there should be a mechanism of surveillance that below 18 year children are not allowed to smoke as in
India, Thailand, and Bangladesh.

Source: BeritaJakarta.com, June 4th 2003

In response to the employees of the Jakarta Transportation Company (PPD) strike, the City Jakarta Administration is still waiting for official request from the Department of Communications on the management take over, City Jakarta Governor told here on Tuesday.

“It is not ethic if I have to ask,” he said adding that since his meeting with deputy minister of the state enterprise BUMN Ferdinand Nainggolan over the last few months there had yet any follow up. The meeting embraced government’s will to transfer management of PPD to the city Jakarta administration.

Nonetheless, Sutiyoso said, he filed rejection if the internal problem including huge debt had yet been settled down.

Sutiyoso was concerned over the problems looming in PPD saying that the central government should take concrete steps to settle down problems in PPD. If the city administration were appointed to manage PPD, he wished to set up a small team tasked with steps to explore central government’s role and the city administration. “But there should be an official offering,” he said. .

Meanwhile yesterday around 1500 employees of the PPD staged rallies before the PPD Head Office on Halim Perdana Kusuma East Jakarta demanding the authority to pay their 5 month unpaid salary.

After the oration, 150 representatives of PPD employees came to the office of the State Owned Enterprise (BUMN) Ministry in Sawah Besar Central Jakarta saying the big rallies a few time ago seemed to affect nothing up to this moment. “What will my family eat, if it is unpaid?” Jamal one of the PPD employee’s representatives told local media as saying.

For the drivers, they can take it from the bus. “But for those administrative clerks, how can they look for money out of the monthly salary?”

Source: BeritaJakarta.com, June 3rd 2003

Cost of transportation in Jakarta is very expensive, a latest survey shows. Researcher of Transportation Program of the Pelangi (Rainbow) Foundation Andi Rahma revealed his recent research saying that the city Jakarta residents have to pay expensive monthly costs of transportation.

In a month, he said, some one has to set aside Rp800,000 for transportation. “Even there are some who spend more approaching Rp1 million,” he told national media Thursday as saying.

The overlapping city bus routes, he said, has caused someone to change vehicles. “Take a big bus, and then change to the small minivan. Even if he has to pass through routes which are not served by the bus, he has to the rented motor cycle. How much does he have to spend?” he said.

A researcher at Center for Indonesian Regional and Urban Studies (CIRUS) Widibyo added 30 percent out of the total income of the city Jakarta residents is allocated at transportation.

The percentage, he said, is higher than the ideal one from 10 to 15 percent. In line with Widibyo, Public Interest and Advocacy Center (PIRAC) As’ad Nugroho said the operational cost of the private car is cheaper than public transportation.

“That’ s why people are hesitated to take city bus, despite it is crowded,” he said.

Source: BeritaJakarta.com, June 3rd 2003

The City Jakarta Authority has officially imposed a pre-paid card or voucher system in Jakarta. The first trial was on Jl H. Agus Salim (Sabang), Central Jakarta Pusat starting from Wednesday. And the following the trial will include four other locations as Jl.Bouleverd Raya- North Jakarta, Jl.Gajah Mada- West Jakarta, Jl. Raden Patah-South Jakarta and Jl. Jatinegara Timur- East Jakarta which are scheduled on June, 2003.

For the first phase, the voucher system would be imposed in one location Jl Sabang. The parking men have followed training how to use parking card and its machine. Then, on June 2 it will be imosed to other locations Jl Boulevard, Jatinegara, and Gajahmada.

Head of City Jakarta Parking Agency Yani Mulyadi said trial in one location was meant to minimize its impacts and at once it will be followed by its solution. Hopefully other locations will follow such step after knowing its effectiveness.

The trial, Yani went on to say, would last three months. Afterwards, it will have an evaluation whether or not the system is worth for continuation. Asked on the alternative, Yani said he had yet to know. If it turns out to be effective, the system will be adopted to the other locations.

Yani cited the voucher system is an effort to reduce the irregularities in the parking retribution. Throughout the system, the parking men will receive salary as of minimum regional wage plus transportation fee and bonus from the voucher sales. The barrier, he said, is they are not officials in parking agency.

Asked on the use of cash money fro those who have yet to have voucher, Yani said he would be firm to only receive voucher. But those drivers from outside Jakarta who visit Jakarta will have dispensation. “Possibly they can pay in cash, but the supervisor,” he said.

On the voucher, Yani asserted it is easily acquired. Asked on whether this system is effective to reduce leakage, Yani said he had yet been certain since the system had just been effective in one location. However, he said, Rp32 billion target of receive from the parking sector could be fulfilled as the voucher system could be imposed in all locations.

Governor Sutiyoso expressed his hope saying that the new system would have been effective by the end of this year in a bid to reach the target.

Source: BeritaJakarta.com, May 29th 2003

The City Jakarta Administration is set on May 28, to impose a pre-paid parking in Jakarta. The trial is to include on street-parking lots in the five mayoralties: Jl. H. Agus Salim- Central Jakarta, Jl.Bouleverd Raya- North Jakarta, Jl.Gajah Mada West Jakarta, Jl. Raden Patah-South Jakarta and Jl. Jatinegara Timur-East Jakarta which is to commence on June 2, 2003.

On street parking system is the City Jakarta Administration’s bid to launch a control over traffic sub-system. As stipulated in the local regulation No 3/1999 on local retribution that on-street parking system which is equipped with parking machine will take a progressive charge with the hope that private car use is diverted to the mass transportation system.

In its trial, the parking men are equipped with handheld parking machine to measure up to count the duration. With the new system, there will be no money transaction.

The service users could buy the pre-paid card in the local parking service or in the mayoralty parking offices: Central Jakarta, Jl. Tanah Abang I NO. 1 Blok A Lt. V, Telp. 3844151, North Jakarta, Jl. Ganggeng III No. 1, Phone 43900259, West Jakarta Jl. Letjen S Parman No. 2, phone 56962561, South Jakarta Jl. Trunojoyo No. I Blok IV basement phone 7208005, 7252211, East Jakarta Jl. Jati Negara Barat No.142, phone 8198901, Central Jakarta Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan No. 1 East Jakarta Timur, phone 4757416.
May 27th 2003 ;
15,000 Kancil Commercial Vehicles to Replace Bajaj
BeritaJakarta.com PT Kurnia Abadi Niaga Citra Indah Lestari is preparing to launch 15,000 units mini commercial vehicle (Kancil) in replacement of Indian origin three-wheel vehicle Bajaj operating in the capital city of Jakarta. To launch its operation, PT Kancil admitted to have forged cooperation with Bajaj Drivers Cooperative (Kosobja).

“We have negotiated with Kosobja. If it is facilitated through cooperative, bajaj drivers will not file their objection to pay for monthly installment,” he told local media on Monday adding that the vehicle will eventually belong to the drivers.

The price of a unit of Kancil could reach Rp40 million, marketing Staff of PT Kancil Donny Utama said here on Monday adding that by the end of this year at the latest, Kancil would have commenced operation. “The City administration has had on hand a legal infrastructure for its operation,” he said.

Though its speed is 60-70 km per hour, Kancil will become a far safer means of transportation compared to bajaj which has a high level of pollution. To date, he said, PT Kancil has distributed five units of kancil to Tangerang and Semarang for trial.

Marketing Service PT Kancil Hari Widianto added kancil uses Robin machine from Fuji Heavy Industry Ltd. Japan, while its tire it uses that of Gajah Tunggal products.

Source: BeritaJakarta.com, May 22nd 2003

The City Administration is to impose three in one (3in1) program in the morning and afternoon at the same few routes as Sudirman-Thamrin-Medan Merdeka Barat and Gatot Subroto (from Kuningan cross road) to S Parman (Slipi).

The result of limited coordinating discussion on bus way suggested the policy of 3 in 1 in the afternoon would have been effective by the end of December.

“So, at certain hours, private vehicles passing through Blok M-Kota should contain three persons or more unless we will take direct measure,” Head of the City Jakarta Communications Office Rustam Effendi said Tuesday in Jakarta.

According to Rustam 3 in 1 afternoon imposition is meant to support the bus way program that will be focused on middle end residents. On its time of imposition in the afternoon, it has yet to be certain.

Meanwhile Senior Comm. Endro Agung said the Police Headquarter has set up special task force if the bus way program is effective. “They will be specially tailored to watch bus way program,” Endro said.

Report said however that city Jakarta Governor has issued a gubernatorial decree No 1274/2003 on Coordinating Team of Bus Way. The team leader is entrusted to secretary of city Jakarta Province H Ritola Tasmaya.

Separately transportation expert from University of Indonesia Alvinsyah who is appointed as transportation designer in Jakarta said on May 25 the master plan the transportation scheme o public transport would be presented before the governor.

He said the scheme will include one of macro descriptions on the position regular, patas medium buses and small van.

Source: BeritaJakarta.com, May 14th 2003

Having witnessed the superiority of bus way as a mass transportation system in the cities of the Latin America as Bogotá, Quito, Sao Paulo and Mexico City, City Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso decided to open bidding for the procurement of the bus infrastructures.

“In the near future, we will open a bid for bus way project as procurement of traffic signs, setting up separators, crossing bridges and bus infrastructures. It will be carried out simultaneously. Our target is the program will be realized by the end of 2003,”governor said while entrusting assistant for developments Irzal Z Djamal as bus way project leader.

Separately Sales Manager of PT Daimler Chrysler Indonesia, Hardi Wibowo suggested the city administration to put forward the bid of 60 bus units if it has to experience another suspension. Hardi said the bidding could take a long time. After bidding, it needs time for the bus procurement.

That’s why the bus procurement should be carried out faster. Bus procurement needs more than two months,” Hardi said after joining governor’s entourage to Bogotá.

He added the other reason of the necessity to put priority to bus bidding since each body vehicle companies have their own plan and program. “If it is faster, from now the city should commence to open the bidding,” he said.

However, the development of bus way does not aim to cope with traffic congestion which is serious, but to give transportation service to the public.

“Bus way will not add up the traffic congestion. It is not so. Bus way will provide a better service to the low end people,” Governor Sutiyoso said after a hearing with the city council on local draft regulation on tourism.

Governor has just arrived from Bogota (Columbia), Quito (Equador), Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Mexico City (Mexico) taking a close look at the management of transportation system at the cities. And Bogota is known for its success implementing bus way effectively and efficiently.

HE said theoretically there was no reason to stop the development of bus way in Jakarta as the condition of Bogota before bus way operation was the same as Jakarta.

Public opinion of pros and cons in Bogota is also the same at time when it was firstly launched. “But after the operation, even people demanded another routes,” Sutiyoso said.

According to governor, Jakarta will not imitate what it is in Bogota. Therefore, the city administration has formed a team tasked with efforts to learn and implement bus way. “Which one we will adopt, it depends on the team led by Pak Irzal. Certainly bus way will be fixed to the condition here,” he said.

Source: BeritaJakarta.com, May 9th 2003

City Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso said the plan to extend time 3 in 1 program was still a discourse adding that the city Jakarta Administration needed to conduct a deeper study mainly on the entire transportation management in relation with the implementation of Bus Way.

“It is still a discourse. Bus way still needs other supporting regulations among other things on 3 in 1 program,” Sutiyoso said adding that it came to surface at time when the city finalized presentation on special lane for the bus before Governor Sutiyoso and his entourage’s departure to Bogota, Columbia.

Despite ineffective, the City Jakarta administration insisted to extend the time of 3 in 1 from 06.00 to 10.00 and 17.00 to 19.00. The program of passenger’s limitation is not effective and it even triggers jockey practices while personal vehicles remain roaming the areas and cause traffic congestion.

The time extension is one of four options that the City Jakarta should take in an effort to diminish traffic congestion on Jl Thamrin, Sudirman, Gatot Subroto, and alternative roads to the areas. This is in a bid to prepare the embryo of mass rapid transport and special lane of bus or bus way.

Source: BeritaJakarta.com, 2004

Around 1000 employees of State-owned Transport Company Jakarta Transport (PPD) staged rallies on Wednesday in front of the State Palace demanding President Megawati to lend hand settle down the problems looming in PPD. They went by 50 buses and they put a coffin as symbol of dying PPD.

Right at 10.30, an official of the State Secretary accepted three representatives of PPD employees under coordination of Workers Association of PPD.

Hasan Sudirman, field coordination of the action, said PPD employees demanded their rights of consecutively three months they had yet to receive salary.

In addition, PPD employees asserted they filed rejection on PPD’s divestment, which had been approved by commission IV of the House of Representatives based on proposal of minister of the state enterprise and minister of communications. They said divestment would spark bigger demonstration.

They suggested the management could be transferred to the City Jakarta Administration. “This refers to the law on regional autonomy. If the central government could not manage the company, please hand it over to the city administration,” Hasan said.

Though unsure with local administration, at least there will be a clear legal status of PPD. “PPD is dying while people are still in need of means of transportation, but the government appeared to be half-hearted,” Hasan said. After the action, they resumed their action in the finance ministry to ask for unpaid payment.

Source: BeritaJakarta.com, 2004

The City Jakarta Administration is set to impose new city public transport fare today. Based on city Jakarta Council’s approval last Monday, the city public transport fare was hiked variously from 17 to 22 percent. Secretary of the City Jakarta Provincial Administration Ritola Tasmaya told the press Thursday the new fare is to take effective starting today.

At the same time, City Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso said the newly impending fare is in accordance with the recommendation of the city council saying the fare hike should vary. Fare of the regular city bus is up by 22 percent from Rp 900 to Rp 1,100; medium bus (Kopaja dan Metromini) is up by 20 percent from Rp 1,000 to Rp 1.200); non-air conditioning bus is up by 17 percent from Rp1,200 to Rp 1,400. While students’ fare remains unchanged to Rp500.

Though the new fare hike is lower than that of the City Jakarta Administration and City Jakarta Lands Transportation (Organda) have proposed, it still sparks protests from the public.

In addition, in line with other charges increase as tap water and electricity basic fare, the low quality of city public service has added up looming problems that lead to rampant rejection or protests. Earlier the City Jakarta Administration launched a proposal of city Jakarta public transport by maximally 28 percent and Organda demanded 50 percent.

Source: BeritaJakarta.com, 2004

The City Jakarta Council has eventually put its approval on city transport fare hike by 17 to 20 percent and tap water fare hike by 40 percent. While for its implementation of city transport fare hike it is still waiting for gubernatorial decree.

Vice Chairman of the City Jakarta Council Chuldary Syafii Hadzami told the press Monday after a meeting that the tap water fare hike which the city council had approved was five percent lower than that of the executive had earlier proposed.

The tap water fare hike, however, is effective to the groups of customers III A, III B, , IV A and IV B while for groups I and II: praying houses, hospital, and other public facilities it remains unchanged.

According to Chudlary, factors which cause tap water subscription fare to hike are soaring prices in the second semester 2002. The price of the chemistry, for instance, has noted a surge by 210 percent. Electricity basic fare at the same period also increased 186 percent. Other equipments as pipe also noted increase by 215 percent and salary has been up by 307 percent and inflationary rate is up by 163 percent.

“Meanwhile the tap water fare hike at the same period was only by 55 percent. The latest fare hike was in the first semester 2001 only by 35 percent,” Chudlary said.

The regulatory body in its proposal has considered some factors as the fare hike should be affordable in accordance with people´s purchase power. The water charge to the foreign partners should be below the impending fare in an effort to avoid deficit.

The City Council has also put its approval over transport fare hike with various percentages given there is an assurance of increasing its quality of service. The City Communications Office and Organda should mend the management of the city public transportation.

Source: BeritaJakarta.com, 2004

Thanks to stable political and security condition, the developments in the capital city of Jakarta in 2002 noted an increase compared to that of a year earlier (2001). City Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso said Monday in the City Jakarta Council the political and security condition eventually exerted positive influence to the real sector and trades in Jakarta.

Governor said the increases could be seen from the burgeoning service business sector as trades, hotel and restaurants, from 4.47% to 5.07%; transportation and communications from 5.43% to 5.71%; electricity, gas and clean water from 4.09% to 4.58%; as well as finance, rental and service company from 3.43% to 3.68%.

“The growing service business sector gave a significant contribution to the economy of Jakarta, though it was not resemble to the period before the economic crisis hit,” Sutiyoso said.

Meanwhile based on the impending prices, the Regional Gross Domestic Product (PDRB) of Jakarta noted an increase by 14.97% from Rp26.18 million in 2001 to Rp30.10 million in 2002.

JIF Revived
Separately Head of the City Jakarta Investment and Local Business Empowerment Board (BPM-PKUD), Muzahiem Muchtar, said in a bid to boost economy in Jakarta he planned to revive Jakarta Investment Forum (JIF) Activities as pioneered by his predecessor, Hari Sandjojo (who now takes the post of Assistant for Economy the City Jakarta Provincial Secretary) in 2002.

“Now we are ready to hold JIF on the next August. What Pak Hari had pioneered is influential enough towards the investment climate in Jakarta since it is on the international level. It means it exerts influence to those domestic and foreign investors. This will give contribution to the economic growth in the capital city,” he said.

In the meantime, on influence of the US allies -Iraq war, Muzahiem said so far it had exerted significant influence toward the investment climate in Jakarta. “If the war did not last long, we might not worry. But, if it was protracted, not only would it affect economy of Jakarta, but also national as well as global economy,” he said.