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Still no permit for high speed rail a week from Jokowi inaguration
The operator of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway (HSR) said it has yet to acquire an operating permit from the government despite President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo's intention of inaugurating the flagship project in less than a week.
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On the right track: Workers examine train cars for the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway (HSR) at a maintenance depot belonging to PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China (KCIC), the railway's operator, in Tegalluar, Bandung regency, West Java. (Antara/Ricky Prayoga)
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he operator of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway (HSR) said it has yet to acquire an operating permit from the government despite President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s intention of inaugurating the flagship project in less than a week.
Eva Chairunisa, spokesperson of PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC), the Sino-Indonesian consortium responsible for the project, told The Jakarta Post on Friday that the company is still in the process of acquiring the license, saying that it would not rush and would maintain the “comfort and feasibility” of the project.
She also guaranteed that everything remained in compliance with regulations, noting that the project is part of the national strategic projects (PSN) and the company would address any concerns before the railway opens to the public.
“It’s in progress,” she said, noting that the delay was not about the permit issuance. “[The high-speed railway inauguration by the President] is still on schedule.”
Read also: High-speed railway delayed again, but it’s for the better, experts say
Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan told reporters on Tuesday that the President would ride the train for the first time on the inauguration day on Sept. 8, as quoted from Antara.
Following the inauguration, the HSR will have a soft launch and will be free of charge for the general public for a month, especially for those residing in areas served by the railway, he said.
