0 Public hearing on new toll roads to be held

Jakarta Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has clarified his stance on the development of six new elevated toll roads, saying his decision was not final and that he would listen to public comments on the plan. “We will a hold public hearing on Tuesday or Wednesday. If Jakartans keep rejecting the plan, we will reconsider,” he said as quoted by kompas.com. He added that tenders for the projects had not been opened as environmental impact analyses and other requirements had yet to be done. 

Construction on the proposed elevated toll roads, costing an estimated Rp 42 trillion (US$4.3 billion), was expected to begin next year under the auspices of PT Jakarta Tollroad Development (JTD). The 67-kilometer-long inner-city toll road network will connect all five of Jakarta’s municipalities. The first phase of construction will include a 17.8-kilometer route from Semanan, West Jakarta, to Sunter, North Jakarta and an 11-kilometer route from Sunter to Bekasi. 

The routes from Duri Pulo, Central Jakarta, to Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta, and from Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta, to Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, are planned for the second phase. The third part of the project will connect Ulujami, South Jakarta, to Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, and the fourth will connect Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, to the Casablanca area of South Jakarta. Many urban experts have voiced strong opposition to the plan, saying the new toll roads would not alleviate the city’s traffic problems. Jokowi previously reasoned that there was no single solution to the traffic problems and therefore improving public transportation and adding new roads should be done simultaneously. (iwa)

source : the jakarta post