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Monorail project back on track
Restart: Governor Joko âJokowiâ Widodo operates heavy machinery while PT Jakarta Monorail president commissioner Edward Soeryadjaya (right) and company technical director R
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Restart: Governor Joko âJokowiâ Widodo operates heavy machinery while PT Jakarta Monorail president commissioner Edward Soeryadjaya (right) and company technical director R. Bovanantoo (second right) look on. Jokowi took action after a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the resumption of the monorail megaproject that was suspended in 2007. The project is expected to be completed in 2016. (JP/Ricky Yudhistira) (right) and company technical director R. Bovanantoo (second right) look on. Jokowi took action after a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the resumption of the monorail megaproject that was suspended in 2007. The project is expected to be completed in 2016. (JP/Ricky Yudhistira)
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span class="caption" style="width: 510px;">Restart: Governor Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo operates heavy machinery while PT Jakarta Monorail president commissioner Edward Soeryadjaya (right) and company technical director R. Bovanantoo (second right) look on. Jokowi took action after a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the resumption of the monorail megaproject that was suspended in 2007. The project is expected to be completed in 2016. (JP/Ricky Yudhistira)
The long-stalled monorail project was officially reinstated on Wednesday as Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo pushed the ceremonial button during the ceremony at the Monument 66 in Kuningan, South Jakarta.
Construction of the monorail was halted in 2007 after project operator PT Jakarta Monorail (JM) failed to pay the subcontractor, state-owned developer PT Adhi Karya, for rows of support pillars the latter had built since 2004.
'After being stalled for about five years, in the name of God I announce today that the monorail project is to be continued by PT Jakarta Monorail,' Jokowi, as the governor is widely known, said.
He also requested that JM do its best to complete the project on time.
'When you focus on what you are doing ' working day and night ' the project will be completed on time. The funds, I believe, are ready. The city administration has received all the required documentation,' he said, adding that he had established a team to supervise the construction progress.
Last week, the governor also officially launched the construction of a rail-based mass rapid transit (MRT) system. The monorail and MRT projects are aimed at providing affordable, speedy and safe public transportation to help ease daily traffic congestion in the city.
Edward Soeryadjaya, the chairman of Ortus Holdings, the majority shareholder of PT JM, said the resumption of the monorail's construction was a small step in a big leap.
'This is a small step in a big leap to provide mass transportation that is eco-friendly, safe and efficient,' he said.
According to Edward, the monorail was expected to be able to transport 300,000 passengers per day by 2016 and 600,000 passengers per day by 2025.
'Residents will be able to use the monorail to travel short to medium distances,' he said.
The consortium is proposing to build two lines: a green line, with 16 stations, extending 14.3-kilometers (km) from the city police headquarters (Komdak) to Satria Mandala Museum, both in South Jakarta; and a blue line stretching 13.7-km from Kampung Melayu in East Jakarta to Grogol in West Jakarta, with 14 stations.
In June, Jokowi announced his decision to revive the Rp 8.1 trillion (US$710 million) megaproject.
The China Communications Construction Corporation Ltd. (CCCC) has been appointed as the project's contractor.
The CCCC has agreed to invest $1.5 billion to finance the project and to fund the construction of a monorail assembly plant in Indonesia.
JM plans to operate 10 trains comprising six cars each on the two lines by 2016, with each train capable of carrying 1,200 passengers. At least 25 trains will be deployed every day.
JM technical director Bovanantoo said the company would begin construction by building new rows of support pillars from Setiabudi in Kuningan, South Jakarta, to Dukuh Atas in Central Jakarta.
'Simultaneously, we will assess the old support pillars,' he said, adding that the company would involve a number of local developers as project subcontractors to complete the thousands of pillars needed.
The 14.3-km green line will have 3,950 pillars consisting of 1,250 piers and 2,700 guideway beams.
'At the moment, we have appointed [state-owned] Waskita Karya [to be a subcontractor],' he said.
President director of JM partner Adhi Karya, Kiswo Darmawan, said, however, that JM had yet to complete the payment for the support pillars.
'We have not agreed on the cost of the support pillars and [JM] has yet to pay for them,' he told The Jakarta Post.
Trisakti University urban planning expert Nirwono Yoga emphasized the importance of the city administration's commitment to completing the project.
'Whoever leads the city administration, it needs to be ensured that the project won't be abandoned like last time,' he said.
