Jakarta is the last Asian metropolis not to have a MRT. However, the city recently confirmed to have started a new MRT project.
JAKARTA – The event was expected for a long time. Finally, Indonesian Governor Joko Widodo officially launched the construction of Jakarta’s first underground system will be developed.
Jakarta is today one of the rare metropolis which never looked seriously at building a public transport with dedicated lanes. The MRT project was already discussed in the 1990s. it first six kilometers should pass through the city centre and could be potentially completed by 2017. When achieved with the help of Japanese firms, Jakarta MRT might in its final expansion phase comprise over 110 km of rail tracks. The entire infrastructure could be achieved by the years 2020. Japanese firms Shimizu-Obayashi-Jaya Konstruksi and Sumitomo-Mitsui-Hutama Karya are to build an underground section running from an affluent southern suburb to Hotel Indonesia in the heart of the city.
The concept of a dedicated independent running metro service was first evocated over 20 years ago but nepotism and administration inefficiency have paralyzed the launch of the project. The project has been always considered as a priority as it generated economic damage estimated at US$ 1.8 million due to endemic traffic jams. The growth in purchasing power has fuelled a need by locals to buy new cars with little possibility for the city administration to effectively control the number of vehicles in the streets of the capital.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
