After yet another delay in conducting a test run, the authorities have called off the rollout of the city’s first light rail transit (LRT) line for the Asian Games.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, who had earlier insisted that the project should be running for the Games, claimed on Saturday that the project had never been planned for the event.

“It was never planned for the Asian Games,” he said on Saturday in reaction to the missed test run planned for that day.

The Transportation Ministry said there were still technical issues hampering the project, meaning the soonest date for a test run was Aug. 15, but by that time it would not be feasible to launch operations of the rail system in time for the Games, which start on Aug. 18.

Refusing to concede that Jakarta had failed to deliver the project on time, Anies instead denied that the LRT line that will connect the Jakarta International Velodrome in Rawamangun, East Jakarta, with Kelapa Gading in North Jakarta had been intended for use by the athletes.

“Those are the questions I keep asking the officials. What makes you think [Jakarta] built the LRT for the Asian Games? What would athletes do at the mall?” he said, referring to the fact that the LRT line has a station at Mal Kelapa Gading.

The LRT is also designed to stop at the Velodrome and the Jakarta International Equestrian Park, also an Asian Games venue.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo signed Presidential Decree No. 99/2015 on the acceleration of rail-based transportation in Jakarta, which explicitly orders the construction of the LRT to support the Asian Games. Former governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama conducted the ground-breaking ceremony for the project a year later.

Earlier this year, both Anies and his outgoing deputy, Sandiaga Uno, reiterated that the LRT needed to be prioritized, so that it would enter operations before the Asian Games.

In February, Anies called out Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono when the minister decided to halt all elevated projects in the country for safety reasons. “I just want to make sure, because the LRT is related to the Asian Games. It’s not like any other elevated infrastructure project,” he said at the time.

The project, led by city-owned developer PT Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro), has struggled to make headway for months, leading to the dismissal of then-Jakpro president director Satya Heragandhi last month.

Anies denied that Satya’s dismissal was related to his performance, saying he would be posted to a job that would put him specifically in charge of the project. The Jakarta governor later appointed Dwi Wahyu Daryoto, a former director of state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina and long acquaintance of Sandiaga, to lead Jakpro.

The move, however, did nothing to improve the project.

Dwi said that, to be fully operational, it would take 1,000 to 2,000 hours of test runs.

“The test run requirements must be met. The test on Aug. 15 will also be conducted with a limited number of passengers for safety reasons. The governor has emphasized safety,” he said.

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi agreed with the Jakarta administration’s decision, saying many supporting facilities of the LRT line were not yet ready.

“Based on a technical evaluation, some parts of the LRT are not functioning. It is better to cancel than to regret later,” he said.

Budi said that, at best, the LRT could only be used by athletes and officials.

Trisakti University urban planning expert Nirwono Joga said it was impossible to force the LRT to become operational before the Asian Games.

There was still lots of work to be done on LRT Corridor 1, which only stretches 5.8 kilometers from the velodrome to Kelapa Gading, aside from the ongoing construction on the LRT station.

Nirwono said rushing it would only result in carelessness and an inability to ensure that the trains were safe for thousands of daily commuters. “The ministry must be very careful before issuing the permits [and wait] until the LRT is really ready,” he said.

“Under these conditions, I can say that the LRT trial run should be conducted either in October or December, while the official operation could start in June next year,” Nirwono added.

He suggested that the city administration take its time to complete the construction on three of eight planned LRT corridors, rather than rushing to finish one corridor only.

The city should ensure that all corridors are built according to their initial plan, conduct trial runs and evaluate them, “so that the urbanites can really feel the benefit of the LRT in their life,” he said.

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