TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat expressed his pessimism about the idea of moving the capital city during the Lebaran Betawi event which was attended by President Joko Widodo on Sunday.

“Relocating the capital city is no easy task. It’s not that simple. I’m of the opinion that we should instead develop Jakarta to make it worthy of capital city status,” Djarot said at the City Hall today.

Djarot did not deny that Jakarta faces a wide range of problems, including traffic jams. He, however, said that the administration continues to develop public transport to address them.

Read: Moving Capital City will Take 5 Years: Bappenas

The Governor said that the city’s public transport projects are 50-60 percent complete, adding that they will help reduce congestion in the city. Djarot named the electronic road pricing (ERP) scheme as one the efforts to achieve it.

“In addition, an integrated transport system would be needed; that’s the president’s instruction, be it commuter line, Transjakarta, LRT and MRT,” Djarot said.

Djarot said that an integrated transport system will connect the city and its hinterlands. He said that Jakarta is not a metropolitan city anymore, but a megalopolis. It means that an integrated system is a must, he said.

“I believe that if we are consistent… there is no need to move the capital city,” Djarot said.

The government is planning to move the capital city from Jakarta to another region. It aims to relocate administrative capital between 2018 and 2019.

LARISSA HUDA