[Kabar-indonesia] 'Monorail project needs audit to prevent an expensive failure'

[Joyo at aol.com]

The Jakarta Post 
Monday, September 4, 2006

'Monorail project needs audit to prevent an expensive failure'

Benget Simbolon Tnb., The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia's transportation sector is far less developed than those of most 
other Southeast Asian nations and this is contributing to inefficiencies in the 
economy, analysts say.

Bambang Susantono, a senior advisor to the Coordinating Minister of the 
Economy Boediono, the president of the Indonesia Transportation Society (MTI), and 
a board member for the East Asia Society of Transportation Studies (EASTS), 
talked to The Jakarta Post's Benget Simbolon Tnb. recently about Indonesia's 
transportation.

What is the present state of transportation here?

We are still trying to search for a sustainable transportation system in 
Indonesia. Our system is still inequitable and inefficient.

Inequalities exist because many poor and disadvantaged people have to bear 
the burden of an inefficient transportation system. The inefficiencies are 
partly caused by the worsening of traffic jams, particularly in big cities like 
Jakarta. Our poorly maintained rail and road networks also add to our high-cost 
economy and our ports and airports are far from efficient.

What should the government do to lower transportation costs?

Actually transportation has two dimensions. One is efficiency, which is very 
important to a nation's competitiveness. The other is equity, which concerns 
fairness and justice.

If we want transportation to be efficient, we must have a system that 
performs according to a level of service that brings competitiveness. The network has 
to easily and smoothly move high numbers of goods and people.

Regarding low-cost transportation, we are talking about accessibility. The 
government must ensure people have a basic level of access to public 
transportation. Here transportation is more like a basic human need.

The House of Representatives is deliberating a new draft transportation law. 
Will it help improve efficiency?

We do hope that the new law will provide and strengthen the principles of 
basic needs in transportation and the framework for public-private partnerships. 
Issues such as safety, demand, management and funding must be included in an 
umbrella regulation.

To improve efficiency, I think we will have to think more about the 
regulation's implementation -- this means focusing on the "men with the guns" -- the 
people who enforce the policy.

Do you think the private sector should play a greater role in developing the 
transportation sector here? Given the government's funding constraints, 
private participation is a must. There are so many potential resources available. At 
the moment, we have a mismatch between the sources of funds and the projects 
carried out.

To link them, we must have regulations and laws that facilitate a match 
between transportation demand and supply. New laws and regulations should provide 
this regulatory framework so that these matches can occur.

What about in Jakarta as the capital of Indonesia. If we compare Jakarta to 
other similar cities such as Manila and Bangkok, we have to accept that Jakarta 
is the "Johnny come lately" of public transportation. We are way behind in 
developing an urban transportation system capable of moving the more 10 million 
inhabitants who live in Jakarta.

Currently, in Jabodetabek (the super-city region including Bogor, Depok, 
Tangerang and Bekasi) the number of single passenger trips has reached 30 million 
a day. Jakarta's landscape is also sprawling out to the east, west and south. 
Every day, we see commuters from Bodetabek who come into the city in the 
morning and return in the evening.

Most of these movements occur at similar times, they move through the same 
spaces and most people travel using private vehicles like motorcycles or cars.

If Jakarta is not serious in developing a mass rapid transit system, we will 
see serious gridlock in the next six to seven years. We already experience 
gridlock in the city every time it rains.

Was the monorail project the best choice for Jakarta? No. Monorails are 
better at facilitating movements in downtown areas or at theme parks such as Disney 
World. Monorails have a very limited capacity to transport people.

In the case of Jakarta, we should optimize the urban railway system: the 
commuter lines from Bogor, Serpong, Tangerang and Bekasi. We should also develop a 
ring route like the Yamanote line in Tokyo.

If we can combine and integrate these railroads with the busway system and 
other modes of public transportation, we can create a system that can answer the 
movement needs of most Jakartans.

The monorail project is again facing financial difficulties. Your comments? 
Well, I have predicted this since the beginning. If you look around in other 
cities, the development of mass rapid transit systems similar to the Jakarta 
monorail always come with government support. There is no way that a system like 
this can be self-sustainable.

Sadly, the Jakarta monorail follows the mistakes made by other cities, such 
as Kuala Lumpur when it built its monorail project and Bangkok when it 
developed a light rail project.

First, the private sector asks the government's permission to build the 
transport system without requesting any guarantees or support. Then, however, when 
work is already underway it ends up by asking for financial guarantees to 
continue the project.

For transport planners around the world, we have one more case study that can 
be taught in the classroom.

What is the best way to pursue the monorail project? I think we must do a due 
diligence test first. Why? Because so far, all of the feasibility numbers are 
based on investors' figures. If someone would like to request government 
support or guarantees, which means the use and risk of public funds, then they 
should open up their books and honestly tell the public about the proposal.

After that, we can decide whether the best way to proceed is to guarantee or 
to subsidize the project. 

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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