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Govt to cut Suramadu Bridge tolls
Sea in a new light: The newly built Suramadu bridge lights up the night across the strait between Surabaya and Madura Island
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Sea in a new light: The newly built Suramadu bridge lights up the night across the strait between Surabaya and Madura Island. The 5.4-kilometer bridge, billed as the longest in Southeast Asia, wasofficially inaugurated by then-President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono June 10, 2009. (JP/Indra Harsaputra) (JP/Indra Harsaputra)
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span class="caption">Sea in a new light: The newly built Suramadu bridge lights up the night across the strait between Surabaya and Madura Island. The 5.4-kilometer bridge, billed as the longest in Southeast Asia, wasofficially inaugurated by then-President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono June 10, 2009. (JP/Indra Harsaputra)
In an effort increase the competitiveness of East Java, the government has decided to cut tolls to cross the Suramadu Bridge, which links Surabaya and Madura Island in East Java, by more than 50 percent, an official says.
A single-crossing for sedans, SUVs, vans and pickup trucks currently costs Rp 30,000 (US$2.19), while a single crossing for large trucks and containers costs Rp 60,000 and Rp 90,000, respectively.
"The President wants the tolls to be lowered by more than 50 percent," Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung in Jakarta on Wednesday.
East Java Governor Soekarwo welcomed the central government's decision, stressing that lowering bridge tolls would support the competitiveness of commodities, particularly from Madura Island.
"Because of the high bridge tolls, commodities from Madura are less competitive,' he explained, adding that the main purpose of Suramadu Bridge was to boost the economy and improve people's welfare in Madura. (bbn)(+)
