President Jokowi Orders for Transport System Total Integration

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo once again held a limited meeting on the issue of transportation across Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, and Bekasi, notably known as the Greater Jakarta Area (Jabodetabek).

The president called for total urban transport network integration across the aforementioned regions. He also called for a totally integrated public transport which he believes could be a solution to Jabodetabek’s traffic jam.

 “As I have said before regarding the traffic jams in Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang, Bekasi. They have caused massive [economic] losses,” said the president at the Presidential Office in Jakarta today.

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In the previous transportation integration meeting, Jokowi revealed the findings of the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) on massive economic losses sparked by traffic jams that accumulated to an annual Rp65 trillion.

Both Vice President Jusuf Kalla and Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan even predicted the numbers to actually reach of Rp100 trillion annually.

“That is an insane amount,” said Jokowi who also reminded Indonesian State Ministries to let go of their sectoral egos in order to fix the deep-rooted issue that continues to hamper Indonesia’s transportation.

AHMAD FAIZ IBNU SANI