T

he Jakarta administration expects the construction of two new elevated roads, both of which will pass over the Semanggi cloverleaf interchange, to reduce the area’s chronic and severe congestion.

The project, however, has been criticized by Indonesian Drivers Association (OPSI) chairman Peter Yan, who argues that the roads will not significantly reduce congestion if only private cars are allowed to used them.

“For instance, the overpass on Jl. Casablanca in South Jakarta is ineffective; the roads underneath are still congested, because public transportation vehicles and motorbikes may not use it,” Peter told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

He added that the Rp 345 billion (US$27 million) Semanggi project would even generate greater bottlenecks, at least until the new roads opened in August next year, as nearby roads would be constricted during construction.

The project is fully funded by private developer PT Mitra Panca Persada and carried out by state-owned construction firm PT Wijaya Karya. It is part of the former company’s obligation in return for increasing its building floor coefficients (KLB) at a property in Bendungan Hilir, Central Jakarta.

The first elevated road, spanning 796 meters, will serve vehicles traveling from Grogol in West Jakarta to Kebayoran Baru in South Jakarta, while the second road, of 826 m, will connect Pancoran in South Jakarta to the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta.

Peter argued that the administration should spend the compensation funds of Rp 600 billion on “simpler but more effective” measures.

“For example, [the administration] should prevent public vehicles such as Metromini [buses] and taxis from picking up passengers on Jl. Jend. Sudirman during peak hours,” said Peter, who is also a lecturer at Tarumanegara University.

“They should not stop on the side of the road. That is, from my observation, one of the major causes of congestion in Sudirman,” said Peter, who worked as a taxi driver for a year and a half in order to study Jakarta’s traffic problems.

Responding to the criticism, Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama said it was expected that congestion would increase temporarily during construction, but insisted the roads would in the long term alleviate congestion.

“Everyone knows that if six lanes are narrowed into four lanes, it forms a bottleneck. That’s why we’re building these two new roads,” he said at City Hall on Wednesday.

Jakarta Roads Agency (Bina Marga) head Yusmada Faizal echoed the governor’s point, noting that given the Semanggi area’s position as a traffic hub, it needed new roads to lessen congestion.

“At least 70 to 80 percent of Jakarta road-users pass through Semanggi, Sudirman and Gatot Subroto,” he said during the same discussion. (adt/Agnes Anya)