TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – As part of its efforts to provide more parking spaces in the capital, the Jakarta government plans on building an underground parking lot at the National Monument (Monas) area. The Jakarta administration made the decision as it continued to grapple with land acquisition problems.
In the 2015 regional budget for Jakarta, the government allotted Rp40 billion to build the underground parking lot at Monas.
Jakarta Housing Agency chief Ika Lestari Adji, however, said she was ignorant of the planned construction. “I can’t answer it yet. Let’s wait until later,” she said on Sunday.
The Jakarta Transportation Agency’s parking unit head Sunardi Sinaga has welcomed the idea as the Indonesian Restaurant and Parks Association's (IRTI) parking lot's capacity was limited.
At weekends, many vehicles are parked on sidewalks as IRTI's parking lot is teeming with vehicles. “Monas is a tourist area, so it’s packed by visitors at weekends,” he said.
He added that IRTI's parking lot could accomodate around a thousand two-wheeled vehicles and 200 cars.
ERWAN HERMAWAN
