A

lthough its construction is only 80 percent complete, the Jakarta administration says it will launch the Pulogebang bus terminal in East Jakarta before the end of the month.

City Transportation Agency chief Udar Pristono said that the terminal, slated to replace Pulogadung as East Jakarta’s main bus terminal, would be opened in the third week of June.

“Although it is not totally complete, all the main facilities are there. The June launch will be a soft opening of the terminal,” Udar said.

Construction of the new terminal would be finished by December, Udar added.

Under the soft launch, Pulogebang will begin serving Transjakarta buses and provide a much-
anticipated connection to the busway’s Corridor 11 route, which runs between Kampung Melayu and Pulo Gebang.

Corridor 11, Transjakarta’s most-recently-opened route, spans 11.7 kilometers and has 16 shelters.

It passes through residential areas, key public transportation points such Jatinegara and Klender train stations and the East Jakarta Municipality office.

Construction of the Pulogebang terminal was budgeted at Rp 450 billion (US$48.15 million) to replace the overcrowded Pulogadung terminal and ease gridlock.

Pulogadung terminal currently accommodates around 750 buses per day, or more than twice its normal capacity.

The old terminal will still serve city buses and Transjakarta buses, while Pulogebang has been slated to handle intercity and interprovincial buses.

Governor Fauzi Bowo, who is facing reelection in early July, said that Pulogebang would be the largest bus terminal in Indonesia.

“It will support the development of the new primary area in East Jakarta,” he said.

East Jakarta is the largest municipality in Jakarta, with most of its area given over to residential zones that were home to 2.69 million people according to the 2010 census.

When it is launched, Pulogebang is expected to be one of the most luxurious terminals in the country, boasting a two-level structure capable of accommodating 2,977 intercity buses.

It will also feature a 1.8-hectare parking lot. The terminal will stand on 9.5 hectares and feature a four-story main building.

Pulogebang has been designed as a park-and-ride facility, where commuters from satellite areas can park their cars and motorcycles and take public transportation to central areas, such as the Sudirman Central Business District.

An adjacent flyover, which will connect the terminal with the nearby toll road, is targeted for completion in mid 2013, although its construction has been halted due to unresolved land disputes.