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New capital may not learn from Jakarta’s transportation mistakes
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Workers complete construction of the Government Center Core Area (KIPP) of the new capital Nusantara in Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan, on Aug. 22, 2023. (Antara/M Risyal Hidayat)
E
xperts have cast doubts on the prospects of public transportation in the new capital of Nusantara, pointing out that its development may still hinge on accommodating private vehicles, much like in Jakarta.
The uncertainty arises as the government has consistently prioritized the development of toll roads in the new capital, whereas progress on public transportation is yet to be seen.
According to the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) in February, toll roads and regular roads are the transportation infrastructure currently being prioritized in the new capital city up to 2024, along with the state palace, offices, housing and basic infrastructure, as well as utilities.
Meanwhile, rail-based transportation will only be constructed starting between 2025 and 2029, according to the Transportation Ministry on Tuesday, as quoted from Bisnis.com.
The ministry’s document in 2021 even stated that rail-based transportation would only begin operations in 2030 at the earliest, if construction started in 2025.
Speaking to The Jakarta Post on Aug. 31, University of Lampung (Unila) urban transportation analyst Aleksander Purba, characterized the government’s action as outdated, likening its favoring of private car users to “rolling out the red carpet” for them.
He urged the government to avoid repeating the same mistakes as in Jakarta when constructing the new capital city, as many public transportation systems were established while it was largely already “too little, too late”.
