T

he Jakarta, Banten and Tangerang administrations have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to address urban problems in Greater Jakarta, including traffic congestion, inundation, sanitation and food
security.

Jakarta Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat said the MoU would help the three administrations tackle issues they were all facing.

“We decided to form this agreement to cope with the different autonomy levels. Jakarta has special autonomy, while in the province of Banten, each city and regency governs itself,” Djarot said after the MoU signing last week, adding that the cooperation had a wide scope.

Among projects to be carried out is the construction of a bridge to connect Dadap in Tangerang regency to islets C and D on Jakarta’s northern coast.

Tangerang Regent Ahmed Zaki Iskandar said previously that the bridge was expected to reduce traffic congestion in the region, as it would serve as an alternative road for vehicles from Tangerang to Jakarta and vice versa.

The bridge, he said, would be connected to roads in a number of areas, such as Kosambi and Teluk Naga in Tangerang.

A regional integrated waste management facility (TPST) to manage waste from the three regions will also be built under the agreement. The TPST will be located in Tangerang.

Banten Governor Wahidin Halim hopes the cooperation goes beyond development.

“I hope Pak Djarot widens the cooperation to other sectors [like agriculture] because we have abundant agricultural potential, such as rice and vegetables,” Wahidin said.

In response to Wahidin’s statement, the Jakarta administration said it would buy rice directly from Banten to cut distribution channels.

“I just heard that Banten also produces rice. [So all this time] the rice from Banten has gone to Karawang Market [in West Java] before entering Jakarta,” Djarot said.

Separately, Jakarta Fisheries, Agriculture and Food Security Agency head Darjamuni Taseda said he would arrange a meeting with city food security company PT Tjipinang Food Station to discuss the plan.

The administrations also previously had attempted to cooperate for Corridor 13, a floating Transjakarta bus lane that connects Tendean in South Jakarta to Ciledug, the area which is shared by Jakarta and Tangerang municipality.

The Tangerang administration had asked the Banten administration to allocate funds to build an additional bus lane for Corridor 13.

The route is designed to pass Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto, which is under the management of the Banten administration. The Tangerang administration previously also asked the Jakarta administration, which operates the bus service, to finance the elevated road in the area.

But the plan was turned down and the bus route stops in Jakarta’s part of Ciledug.