Going underground: An official (left) explains something to visitors at the MRT construction site in Jakarta on Thursday
span class="inline inline-center">
After more than three years under construction and being off-limits to members of the public, the construction site of the Jakarta MRT is now turning into a popular tourist attraction with people having to register two months in advance before they can take a peek inside its underground tunnel, which is now 85 percent complete.
Aware that Jakartans have been anticipating the completion of the US$1.7 billion project, PT MRT Jakarta has started conducting weekly tours on Thursdays for those curious to learn about the massive undertaking.
Initially, the tour was held daily only for experts and engineers wanting to know about the project, but seeing enthusiasm from the public, PT MRT Jakarta decided to give the tour on a weekly basis to those interested in making the trip who represent groups or institutions and submit formal proposals.
“We have to reject many of the [visitor entry] proposals, because some were irrelevant [to what the project is about]. We don’t want our construction site to only become a place to take selfies. This is a form of our corporate social responsibility program to share knowledge, not to take selfies,” said PT MRT corporate secretary Tubagus Hikmatullah. PT MRT imposes on visitors a ban on the use of cell phones on its construction site.
One of the groups that recently paid a visit to the site were 20 people from the Indonesian Diaspora Network (IDN).
Leaving the scorching heat of Jakarta’s sun on the surface, members of the group descended 60 flights of stairs to see the tunnel of the MRT project under the MH Thamrin thoroughfare, part of a network that would connect Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta.
“If the city is flooded, will it [the tunnel] be inundated?” asked one member of the group, Utami Pinjungsari, 38, of an officer of PT MRT Jakarta as they reached the circular entry of the tunnel, which happened to look like Doctor Strange’s fictional teleport hole depicted in a popular superhero movie.
“No, it won’t,” said the officer who then proceeded to explain how the design of the tunnel, which is 6.05 meters in diameter, could withstand flooding.
Haikal Reandika, 23, a Malaysian student who joined the group, said he could learn a lot about the engineering from the tour.
“I don’t mind having to give up my cell phone. As long as I can see this [the MRT project], I’m already more than satisfied. I actually want to see the ongoing process of MRT construction, which reportedly was undertaken with Japanese technology,” he said.
PT MRT Jakarta said that the tour was part of the transparency that it promoted in the company.
“This [MRT] tour is actually our report to the public. By seeing it for themselves, the public hopefully can be optimistic about [the progress],” Tubagus said, adding that many people might think the project had been put on hold, given that no discernible activities could be seen above ground.
Earlier this year, PT MRT Jakarta came under fire for a selfie picture showing three youngsters inside the tunnel that went viral on social media.
PT MRT said the three children had no permission to visit the construction site and since the incident it has installed more closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and dispatched more security guards.
“Our main concern and fear is what if they [the unauthorized visitors] are terrorists,” said Tubagus, admitting that because of the project’s popularity, many people have proposed to hold various events, from a pre-wedding photo session and the filming of a soap opera to political campaigns.
“The schedule is fully booked for the next two months,” he said.
______________________________
Grace Kang is an intern at The Jakarta Post
Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.