T

he city administration is planning to contribute financing to the national government'€™s elevated rail loop line, slated to kick off this year.

Governor Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo announced the plan after a meeting with Deputy Transportation Minister Bambang Susantono at City Hall on Thursday.

'€œThe government allocated Rp 700 billion [US$61.2 million] this year and another Rp 1.5 trillion next year for this project, but the city aims to add to the budget to expedite the project'€™s completion. We will need the City Council'€™s approval first, though,'€ he told reporters, adding that he had yet to set a figure.

According to Jokowi, the project could be started soon as it did not require land acquisition.

'€œI hope the project can be completed in 2017,'€ he said.

He went on to say that the elevated rail loop line could minimize accidents at unsafe crossings and mitigate traffic jams.

Bambang said that he and the governor had agreed to inspect the planned construction sites, including a number of existing public transportation stations.

'€œWe would like to check out Dukuh Atas station, which will accommodate different modes of transportation like buses, mass rapid transit [MRT] and the future airport train and monorail. We will synchronize it with the city'€™s spatial planning and property development plans,'€ Bambang said.

Concerns over the numerous unsafe rail crossings in the city were raised following a fatal collision of a fuel truck and commuter train at a crossing in Bintaro, South Jakarta, in December. At least seven people were killed in the accident.

The Jakarta administration had planned to construct seven overpasses and three underpasses earlier this year to reduce traffic over accident-prone crossings, but the plan was shelved after the central government decided to move ahead with the construction of the elevated rail loop line connecting Manggarai-Tanah Abang-Duri-Senen-Jatinegara-Kampung Bandan-Kemayoran-Manggarai.

Work on the loop line, which will cost an estimated Rp 9.5 trillion, is expected to begin this year, with the first phase covering the eastern line linking Manggarai and Kampung Bandan. The elevated railway would shorten travel times between stops to around three to five minutes.

To date, of the nearly 550 crossings in Jakarta, only 43 have an overpass or an underpass.

Later on Thursday following his meeting with the deputy transportation minister, Jokowi met with Social Affairs Minister Salim Segaf Al Jufri to synchronize the government and city administration'€™ social programs.