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ity-owned mass rapid transit (MRT) operator PT MRT Jakarta has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with local radio station Green Radio 89.2 FM and lewatmana.com to broadcast traffic information around MRT construction sites.

'€œWith this cooperation, commuters will have ways of gathering information regarding traffic conditions, particularly near MRT construction sites, so they can manage their trip plans,'€ PT MRT president director Dono Boestami said after the MoU signing in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Dono pointed out that the cooperation was aimed at informing motorists affected by the construction of the first track of MRT, which is set to connect Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta with the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta.

The radio station will provide traffic updates, as well as broadcasting live reports from construction sites and talk shows regarding updates on the ongoing MRT project.

Meanwhile, lewatmana.com, a website that provides traffic information through its website and Twitter account @lewatmana, will install CCTV cameras in several construction locations.

Real-time pictures can also be streamed on PT MRT Jakarta'€™s website jakartamrt.com and lewatmana.com.

'€œWe prepared 14 CCTV cameras from Lebak Bulus to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle,'€ lewatmana.com founder Hendry Soelistyo said.

Dono said PT MRT Jakarta would not have to allocate a certain amount of budget to fund the cooperation as both private parties had agreed to fund the services themselves.

'€œBoth Green Radio and lewatmana.com will fund the services by themselves so PT MRT Jakarta will not have to pay for anything,'€ he said.

Traffic management will be the priority of PT MRT Jakarta as the project operator and the city administration during the MRT construction.

It is expected the project will trigger traffic congestion as the project contractor will need space to enable the work to take place and to make way for heavy equipment.

The city administration aimed to reduce activities in Lebak Bulus terminal in South Jakarta to make way for the construction of an MRT depot and an MRT station, a plan which has been halted due to protests staged by the bus operator workers affected by it.

The MRT construction project is divided into eight packages, comprising three underground civil works, three elevated civil works, the MRT system and the MRT rolling stock.

The construction of the first phase of the MRT track will be funded by a ¥125 billion (US$1.19 billion) soft loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).