T

he chief of the Presidential Working Unit for Supervision and Management of Development (UKP4), Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, is urging Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo to speed up efforts to overcome traffic jams before he takes leave for his re-election campaign in April.

“The issuing of permits has to be expedited, considering that the Jakarta governor will take leave
in April for his re-election campaign.

So I think this window of opportunity will only last three months,” said Kuntoro after a meeting on transportation in Jakarta at the Merdeka Selatan Palace on Friday, as quoted by Antara news agency.

He said that the fast-tracked permits included those for gas stations and the exchange for the National Police Training Center Agency in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, which would be used for the planned MRT line. “These problems have to be solved in the next three months,” he said.

Fauzi did not attend the meeting, which was led by Vice President Boediono and deputy governor for transportation and environment issues Soetanto Suhodo. He went to Cipinang in East Jakarta to inspect a mosquito control program, which he said was as important as addressing the city’s traffic woes.

Also attending were Transportation Minister EE Mangindaan, Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo, Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto, oil and gas director general Evita Legowo, National Traffic Police chief Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo, Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Untung Rajab, Banten Deputy Governor Rano Karno, South Tangerang Mayor Airin Rahmydiany and other relevant officials.

The meeting evaluated 17 actions plans laid out by the government to solve the city’s traffic problems.

Kuntoro, who was appointed by Boediono to monitor the progress of the action plans, said that the Jakarta administration had made some improvements in opening more Transjakarta routes, sterilizing Transjakarta exclusive lanes, diminishing on-street parking, and monitoring the quality of public transportation drivers.

Other policies, including planned electronic road pricing (ERP), a train route to the airport, the prioritization of the MRT and the development of the Jakarta inner-ring railroad and six new inner-city toll roads remained on the city’s agenda, Kuntoro said.

Djoko said that six new toll roads would be constructed in October this year.

“The ministry is currently negotiating the construction of the toll roads with the investor from Jakarta-owned enterprises,” he said.

The state-run railway company PT KAI said that it was ready to build five new train stations and restore six existing stations in Greater Jakarta to improve the service for passengers. This year, PT KAI aims to provide 1,000 units of electric trains, up from the current 500 units.

PT KAI director Ignatius Yonan said that his company planned to add more carriages to every train, from eight carriages to 10, in order to cater for more passengers.

“As trains will be longer than before, we will also be extending the platforms in 50 train stations,” he said.