First busway transfer station opened

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Governor Sutiyoso opened Thursday the Harmoni Central Busway (HCB), the transport system's first transfer station.
The new station will enable passengers to transfer between corridor I (Blok M-Kota), II (Pulo Gadung-Harmoni) and III (Kalideres-Harmoni).

Sutiyoso said he hoped the Rp 51 billion station, which has six automatic doors and can hold up to 600 people at one time, would help serve customers better and reduce traffic.

The HCB (above) straddles the Ciliwung River in West Jakarta. Construction began in August last year, but was delayed at one point because of budget allocation problems.

"This is the biggest station we have. People shouldn't have to wait any longer than 10 minutes between buses," Sutiyoso said in his speech, which started about 15 minutes later than scheduled.
"In January we will be operating seven fully functioning corridors. By the end of 2007 we plan to have 10 corridors," he told guests and the media.

He said all the corridors would eventually be integrated into a united city transportation scheme which would include monorail stations.

"Better to suffer (traffic congestion during construction) now and reap the benefits later," he said, adding that he would also do his best to make the busway safer.

He then rode the busway with his staff to Pulo Gadung station.

Muhammad Akbar, the traffic management unit head at the Jakarta Transportation Agency, said no trees had been cut down for the project. He added that a banyan tree on Jl. Hayam Wuruk next to the HCM had caused them some problems, however.

"None of the workers were able to cut it down ... Some people believe that it's possessed. We paved the ground around it with cement, but somehow the tree managed to survive," he said.(03)