Eva Chairunisa, spokesperson of PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC), the Sino-Indonesian consortium responsible for the project, told The Jakarta Post on Friday that the company is still in the process of acquiring the license, saying that it would not rush and would maintain the “comfort and feasibility” of the project.

She also guaranteed that everything remained in compliance with regulations, noting that the project is part of the national strategic projects (PSN) and the company would address any concerns before the railway opens to the public.

“It’s in progress,” she said, noting that the delay was not about the permit issuance. “[The high-speed railway inauguration by the President] is still on schedule.”

Read also: High-speed railway delayed again, but it’s for the better, experts say

Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan told reporters on Tuesday that the President would ride the train for the first time on the inauguration day on Sept. 8, as quoted from Antara.

Following the inauguration, the HSR will have a soft launch and will be free of charge for the general public for a month, especially for those residing in areas served by the railway, he said.

According to Detik.com, Chinese Premier Li Qiang will also attend the inauguration with Jokowi on Sept. 8.

The HSR is a signature project for China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It will also be the first of such projects in ASEAN and will showcase China’s influence and technological acumen in the region.

The train was scheduled for a soft launch this Friday, following a two-week delay from the initially planned date of Aug. 18.

However, for the second time in less than a month, the highly anticipated trial launch of the US$7.3 billion fully electric rail line has been postponed.

Originally slated for completion in 2019, the project has encountered a series of challenges, including a substantial $1.2 billion cost overrun and stringent safety checks during its development.

As the date of the soft launch approached, Eva told the Post that the firm had done thorough system checks, saying that this was part of the process, and everything was according to the regulations.

KCIC coordinated with the Transportation Ministry to obtain an operating permit for the HSR before its launch to ensure that all aspects of the system are safe and viable, she said.

Risal Wasal, railway director general at the Transportation Ministry said on Aug. 7 that the HSR could not be launched without an operating permit, including for the free trial, as quoted from Tempo.

The ministry started the certification process, a prerequisite for obtaining the operating permit, on July 26.

Read also: Govt launches Greater Jakarta LRT to ease traffic, pollution

Deddy Herlambang, executive director of local transportation think-tank Instran, told the Post on Friday that the government should not force the project to open for the public in the absence of an operating permit.

He said that prior to obtaining the operating permit, the project must acquire several certifications from the Transportation Ministry to ensure its safety and preparedness.

“The risk is significant. If something happened, we may not be prepared to mitigate any risks and potential hazards,” Deddy said.

This week, President Jokowi inaugurated the long delayed Greater Jakarta light rail transit (LRT), but in its early operating days, it was beset by numerous troubles, such as delays and technical issues.

Deddy did not rule out the fact that if the project is forced to begin operations before it is ready, passengers might see some operational issues like with the LRT.

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