Pramono Anung. (Antara)

The government intends to develop light rail transit (LRT) in seven cities in a bid to reduce congestion, an official said Wednesday.

Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said the plan was discussed in a special meeting led by President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo. The meeting also discussed the progress of the mass rapid transit (MRT) project in Jakarta, as well as the controversial Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train project.

"We closed the meeting on the national transportation system. [We discussed] not only transportation in a city, but intercity as well. The President and Vice President'€™s concern is to solve this transportation problem," he said as quoted by kompas.com.

The LRT, he added, was now desperately needed in other cities, aside from Jakarta.

Ministries are now conducting feasibility studies and will announce the seven cities where an LRT will likely be constructed. Jakarta, Surabaya, Semarang, Makassar, Medan and Palembang are candidates.

Pramono also said that the President underlined three points that needed to be taken cautiously in the Jakarta-Bandung bullet train project.

First, it must be a business-to-business project, and it may be led by a private company or state-owned company.

Second, no state budget can be used. And third, the government would not issue a state-guarantee for the project. (ags)(++++)

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