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eputy Governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama has questioned the latest stance of his boss Governor Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo on PT Jakarta Monorail (JM), which has failed to meet the deadline for the signing of the cooperation agreement on the project.

The governor had set a deadline of the end of March for JM to meet all administrative and legal requirements needed to sign the cooperation agreement. '€œI don'€™t know why Pak Governor is so patient. I personally don'€™t want [to extend the deadline] again,'€ Ahok said when asked to comment on the monorail project at City Hall on Friday.

Despite the absence of significant progress following the project'€™s ground-breaking ceremony in October, 2013, Jokowi agreed to give the company until the end of March to complete all necessary documents.

This was mainly because the city administration was still making an overall evaluation of the project and the company was still preparing the necessary documents, including its initial capital to carry out the project. Ahok acknowledged that spatial planning was a major issue that had contributed to the delay in the signing of the cooperation agreement.

'€œThe company has asked for a permit from the city administration to build three to four-story buildings dedicated to commercial use above monorail stations,'€ he said, adding that JM would use the commercial areas as an income source as it did not expect to earn profits from ticket sales.

JM has proposed building two routes: the first being the Green Line, which will serve Kuningan-Kuningan Central-Gatot Subroto-Senayan-Asia Afrika-Pejompongan-Karet-Dukuh Atas. The second route, the Blue Line, will
serve Kampung Melayu-Tebet-Kuningan-Casablanca-Tanah Abang-Roxy-Taman Anggrek.

'€œWe have allowed the company to use open green spaces but then it wants to build shopping malls above the stations,'€ Ahok said, adding that the proposal was implausible.

According to Ahok, the company demanded 20 hectares above the monorail stations with rentals of around Rp 25 million (US$2,200) per square meter per year. '€œWe have to see whether such construction is good for our spatial planning and how much it will cost,'€ he said.

Ahok said the Spatial Planning Agency was now recruiting consultants to recalculate the construction plan. '€œI think Pak Governor is very kindhearted, so we'€™ll recalculate it,'€ he said.

Ahok said if he could choose, he would cancel the project. '€œIf it does not make sense, why should we go ahead?,'€ he said, adding that he doubted the viability of shopping malls built above stations.

Separately, Jakarta Spatial Planning Agency head Gamal Sinurat revealed that the key issue in the ongoing negotiation between the company and the city administration was that the two sides were at loggerheads over the proposed location of depots and stations.

'€œWe don'€™t have adequate legal basis for the use of air rights [above the stations and lines]. We are still studying the possibilities,'€ he said.

Previously, the city administration introduced a new clause to the draft work contract which would force JM to pay up to 5 percent of the total investment value of $1.5 billion in performance bonds. The city administration would then take the project over without compensation if the company failed to complete it within three -and-a-half years.

JM president director John Aryananda confirmed that a major issue in the draft cooperation agreement was the proposed location of a depot for the rolling stock.

'€œWe have not found a suitable place for a depot,'€ he said, adding that the company had proposed three sites '€” Tanah Abang and Melati in Central Jakarta and Tomang in West Jakarta.

With regard to the commercial developments, John said his company would comply with the regulations set by the city administration.

'€œI think it is normal for stations to have commercial areas, like train stations,'€ he said.