C

ity-owned PT Mass Rapid Transit Jakarta (MRT Jakarta) has urged the city administration to pick up the pace of its slow land acquisition process, to enable it to complete the ongoing construction project prior to the Asian Games in 2018.

MRT Jakarta president director Dono Boestami said on Friday that the city administration had yet to finish acquiring the required land for the project in South Jakarta.

'€œI hope the Public Works Agency will acquire the land faster because many plots of land, including in Lebak Bulus stadium, South Jakarta, have not been acquired,'€ he said.

Dono said his company planned to speed up the construction process to meet the request of Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama, who had asked for the MRT to be ready before the Asian Games in 2018.

'€œSome construction work can be expedited if the city administration clears the land needed for the project in the municipality,'€ he said.

According to Dono, plots of land not yet acquired include a police housing complex on Jl. Ampera in South Jakarta, where a carriage depot will be constructed.

The city administration is still waiting for the permit from the central government.

Plots of substitute land are also in the process of being acquired while the land to be obtained for the project is located in several areas: Lebak Bulus Stadium, Jl. Kartini, an area close to Cipete Raya train station, Jl. Haji Nawi and the Blok A and Blok M business districts. They are all located in South Jakarta.

The Lebak Bulus bus terminal, seven crossing bridges and a number of Transjakarta bus shelters on Jl. Sudirman, Central Jakarta, have also hampered the construction project.

Dono, however, said although the land acquisition had been tardy, the construction was still on schedule. '€œWhile waiting for the land acquisition, we still can do other work,'€ he said.

He was also optimistic that the first phase of MRT could be operated by 2018.

'€œThe participants of Asian games will be able to use the MRT to reach the venue in Senayan,'€ he added.

MRT construction director Muhammad Nasir said his company had also targeted the construction of the elevated highway on Jl. Fatmawati to begin in October.

The MRT track will connect Lebak Bulus to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Dukuh Atas, Central Jakarta. The track on Jl. Fatmawati will be elevated.

Regarding Lebak Bulus Stadium, Youth and Sports Agency head Ratiyono said the city was still waiting for the verification and recommendation letter from the Youth and Sports Ministry. He said it could be gained if the land for a substitute stadium at BWM Park, North Jakarta, was certified.

The city administration is conducting the bidding process for the stadium construction and after the ownership document for the new stadium is issued, the Youth and Sports Ministry is expected to approve the demolition of Lebak Bulus Stadium.