TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - PT Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) will prioritize services in lanes that intersect with the busway corridors (TransJakarta bus lane). Director of Construction of PT Mass Rapid Transit, Muhammad Nasir, said that the MRT lane will serve areas in which TransJakarta can not provide maximum services due to the limitations of the bus fleet. In this first phase of plans, PT MRT will operate 16 train sets. "One train set consists of six carriages," Nasir said on Monday.
For a single journey, said Nasir, a train set can carry up to 1,500 passengers. If not maximized, can be increased to eight carriages. "Another option that could be explored is by increasing the frequency of trips, wherein a train set would arrive every 2.5 minutes"
Head of South Jakarta Transportation Agency, Prijanto, said that one of the priorities is the TransJakarta lane that stretches from Blok M to Kota (Old Town area). Within a day, according to Prijanto, averagely there are 80,000 passengers who use this route. "The number of passengers is expected to be served by the MRT."
It is known that the first phase of the MRT construction - which spans between Lebak Bulus and the Hotel Indonesia (HI) Roundabout - is currently underway. One train depot and total of 13 stations will be constructed. Seven stations - Lebak Bulus, Fatmawati, Cipete, Haji Nawi, Blok A, Blok M, and Sisingamangaraja - will be constructed above ground, while the remaining six - Senayan, Istora, Bendungan Hilir, Setiabudi, Dukuh Atas, and HI Roundabout - will be built underground.
The MRT Jakarta's Project Manager for Elevated Construction, Heru Nugroho, said that the completion rate of the overground stations are currently at 12 percent, whereas the subterranean stations have reached 22 percent. "In total, the project is about 15 percent completed," said Heru, who added that his team plans to complete at least 24 percent of the elevated, overground stations in 2015.
Heru said that the construction of the foundation of tracks between Fatmawati and Blok M will be completed sometimes in 2016, whereas the land acquisition process required for the foundation works to commence is slated to be completed by November 1, 2015.
It is also known that the laying of the foundations for the elevated tracks is slated to commence later on this week.
DINI PRAMITA