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Luhut tells LRT developer to follow order to suspend work
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Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan. (tempo.co/File)
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oordinating Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan has criticized state-owned construction company PT Adhi Karya for reluctantly following the government’s decision to temporarily stop the construction of the light rail transit (LRT) project that, together with two other infrastructure projects, has worsened traffic jams.
“We can move the work to other areas. There is no problem,” said Luhut as quoted by kontan.co.id. in response to a comment made by PT Adhi Karya president director Budi Harto, who said the LRT project's contributions to causing traffic jams was insignificant.
Previously, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi announced that the government had decided to suspend construction of some sections of the LRT and the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway to ease worsening traffic on the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road.
Budi said the work on the elevated toll road would be allowed to continue, although he admitted that its construction also contributed to the heavy traffic along the toll road. The minister argued that the project should go ahead because it was part of the trans-Java toll road that should be open as soon as possible.
However, Budi Harto said he would meet with Minister Budi Karya to discuss whether the construction of the LRT should continue.
Luhut, however, stressed that the work suspension would not significantly affect the whole project because the contractor could still work in other places. “There are many complaints that the projects have caused serious traffic congestion,” the minister added. (bbn)
