TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi expects the light rail transit (LRT) project in Palembang, South Sumatra, to be completed by June 2018. The project is currently 55 percent complete. “Carriages will gradually arrive in February and expected to be trialed by June,” he said in a written statement last week.

Budi said that his office is preparing a survey on Palembang people’s purchasing power to determine the train tariff. He said that he wants to see them make the switch from private vehicles to public transportation.

State-owned construction company PT Waskita Karya operational director Adi Wibowo said that the LRT would be capable of transporting 4,000 people in one go.
Thousands of people will be carried by 14 train sets. A set consists of three carriages with a capacity of 500 passengers each.

At present, it takes 1.5 hours to travel from Ogan Permata Indah to the airport by motor vehicles. Adi said that the LRT could cut travel time to around 40 minutes.

Waskita is planning to install escalators, lifts for disabled people, and emergency stairs for easy access. Palembang LRT projects include 24.5 kilometer-long tracks with 13 stations and two corridors.

DANANG FIRMANTO | PARLIZA HENDRAWAN (PALEMBANG)