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Jakarta motors ahead with e-prix plans despite controversies
In the races: A shuttle car takes visitors on a tour of the National Monument (Monas) complex in Central Jakarta on Tuesday
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n the races: A shuttle car takes visitors on a tour of the National Monument (Monas) complex in Central Jakarta on Tuesday. Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said he had sent a letter to State Secretary Pratikno, who also heads the Medan Merdeka Area Development Steering Committee, to inform the latter that he had obtained a recommendation from the Jakarta administration’s cultural preserve expert team to organize a Formula E race in the Monas area. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
The Jakarta administration will press ahead with its plan to hold the Jakarta E-Prix Formula E race in June on a circuit around the National Monument (Monas) park in Central Jakarta despite controversies surrounding its use of the cultural heritage site.
Dwi Wahyu Daryoto, president director of city-owned developer company Jakpro, which leads the city organizing committee for the international event, said the company was poised to begin construction of the circuit next month with event scheduled for June.
Dwi argued the decision to use Monas as the venue for the annual race was in accordance with a 2010 law on cultural heritage sites.
“Our event complies [with the 2010 law],” he said in a press conference on Friday.
"The important thing is we are committed to not damaging the site. This commitment is non-negotiable, as it has been reaffirmed in the recommendation letter given by the steering committee."
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan announced in September that the capital city would host a race on the Formula E championship calendar for five consecutive years starting in 2020. He said that the first ever e-prix to be held Indonesia would benefit the capital by boosting tourism and stimulating infrastructure development.
His approached the Formula E organizers last, claiming the event would be fitting for a capital seeking to promote sustainable transportation amid deteriorating air quality.
The 2.6 kilometer Monas circuit will start in front of City Hall and feature 11 bends as it winds around Monas park.
However, controversy has followed the city’s efforts to obtain a permit to make alterations to Monas park. As a national monument, the gold flame-topped obelisk is under the management of the State Secretariat, which also oversees important sites along Jl. Medan Merdeka on which the State Palace is located.
The central government initially rejected the city’s proposal, with the two authority’s engaging in a public spat following the city’s move to begin renovations to Monas park in preparations for the race without having obtained permission. The city finally received the green light from the government to use Monas park for the circuit. However, this was not the end of the controversy.
In the city’s proposal to the central government, Anies reportedly claimed to have secured a recommendation from the Jakarta Cultural Heritage Expert Team (TCAB) to use parts of the park for the circuit. However, the head of the team, Mundarjito, said on Wednesday that his team had not been informed of the plans to hold the race.
Jakarta administration secretary Saefullah dismissed the controversy as an administrative error, claiming that in its proposal, the administration had meant to write that it had received a recommendation from the Jakarta Restoration Assembly Team (TSP), not the TCAB.
"It was a human error. We will be more careful in the future," Saefullah told reporters at City Hall on Friday. "We will follow up with a correction letter."
City council speaker Prasetyo, an opponent of the Formula E plans, lambasted Anies and his administration for the mishap and claimed the administration had yet to consult cultural heritage experts.
He also called for Anies to be summoned to the city council and went as far to threaten to block the planned Rp 1.2 (US$ 87.79 million) in funds needed to host the event.
"We are not trying to obstruct the international event, but [Anies] must know there is a state regulation,” he said on Thursday, suggesting the city could instead hold the event at the Ancol Dreamland Park in North Jakarta.
Despite the roadblocks, Dwi of Jakpro said the company planned to complete construction of the circuit in the next three months. The company had requested an injection of Rp 767 billion from the city budget, Rp 344 million of which would be used for asphalting and erecting barriers and fences, while the remaining Rp 423 million would be for a bank guarantee.
As a return on investment, Dwi said the Jakarta E-Prix was predicted to increase the country's gross domestic product by 0.02 percentage points, citing a study by Bank Indonesia.
The paddock, tribune and the information technology infrastructure will be handled by the International Automobile Federation (FIA). The final stage would be to obtain a racetrack certification from the organization.
The 47-minute race will be contested by 24 drivers on 12 teams from 13 countries. The circuit, designed by German racetrack designer Tilke Engineers & Architects, will have 11 bends and allow drivers to reach speeds of up to 220 km per hour.
Indonesian Motorcycle Association (IMI) chairman Sadikin Aksa said Monas had a long history of hosting motorsport events in the 1970s and 1980s.
"We are very proud to host the Jakarta E-Prix," he said at the same event. "This will be a benchmark for local drivers who aspire to take part in such races."
He added that the FIA had been assessing the potential for cancellations of Formula E races worldwide because of the recent coronavirus outbreak. The organization recently cancelled a Formula One race in Shanghai, China. However, it has yet to issue an official statement regarding the Jakarta E-Prix. (dfr)
