T

he state railway operator PT KAI said it would demolish more than 800 houses and buildings built alongside railway tracks in West Jakarta.

PT KAI spokesman Mateta Rizalulhaq said the structures would be demolished because they compromised railway signalling systems.

“We will start evicting residents on March 1. We are targeting illegally constructed buildings along the railway line, of which there are more than 800 between Jayakarta and Sawah Besar stations,” he said.

Mateta added that the frequent fires that broke out in these illegal settlements also disrupted railway services.

“There have been occasions when the fires destroyed the fiber optic cables in our signalling system, which in turn affected service,” he said.

Mateta said KAI had decided to take a hard line against the illegal settlements after fire razed parts of the Jayakarta train station last month, severely disrupting service for Jakarta commuters.

KAI cited the 2007 Railway Law, which requires that railway tracks be clear of buildings and any other obstructions that pose a hazard.

As the structures set up by squatters along the railway were illegal, Mateta said, KAI would not compensate those evicted.

“We will, however, offer them a free trip back to their home towns,” he said.

Responding to the planned eviction, squatters in the vicinity of Jayakarta station staged a rally at the City Council on Monday.

Protesters called on KAI to delay the planned eviction, arguing that their children would be sitting final exams at the time.

One of the protesters, Zulkifli, said more than 900 people would be affected by the planned eviction.

“We had no idea the land belonged to KAI, but we’re asking KAI to put their plans on hold,” he said.