PU Department: Increasing Road Ratio in Jakarta is Difficult

Various ways are done by Jakarta Provincial Government to resolve traffic congestion problems. Besides improving the facilities and infrastructures of mass transportation, the amount of road ratio is also increased because current ratio is not adequate yet, only 7.159 percent of Jakarta’s width. Whereas, the ideal road ratio should have reached 12 percent of total Jakarta’s area.

There has been increase in road ratio, but not yet significant indeed. Now, road ratio in Jakarta is 7.159 percent of Jakarta’s width

Head of Jakarta Public Works Department Roads Division, Juaini Yusuf, said that although current road ratio is not yet adequate, the amount keeps increasing. If in 2012 it was only 6.2 percent, it is now 7.159 percent. The most prominent increase comes from the Antasari-Blok M and Kampung Melayu-Tanah Abang non-toll flyovers (JLNT).

“The total width of Jakarta’s land is around 661 square meters, while the total road width is 42,420,701 square meters with a length reaches 6,864,916 kilometers. There has been increase in road ratio, but not yet significant indeed. Now, road ratio in Jakarta is 7.159 percent of Jakarta’s width,” he stated, Saturday (8/30).

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According to Yusuf, increase in road ratio in Jakarta is hard to achieve because of the high growth of private vehicles usage. It is recorded that approximately 300 new cars and 1,000 new motorcycles roam on the streets every day. Moreover, tough land acquisition process also becomes one of the reasons why increasing road ratio in Jakarta is difficult.

One of the ways to resolve the problem is by building roads, including the construction of six new toll roads which will be done soon and targeted to finish 2022. The project of the six new toll roads construction stretches for as long as 69.77 kilometers, and is divided into four phases.

The first phase is Semanan-Sunter corridor as long as 20.23 kilometers with investment value Rp 9.76 trillion, and Sunter-Pulo Gebang corridor as long as 9.44 kilometers worth Rp 7.37 trillion.

The second phase is Duri Pulo-Kampung Melayu corridor as long as 12.65 kilometers worth Rp 5.96 trillion, and Kemayoran-Kampung Melayu corridor as long as 9.60 kilometers worth Rp 6.95 trillion.

The third phase is Ulujami-Tanah Abang corridor as long as 8.70 kilometers worth Rp 4.25 trillion.

The last phase is Pasar Minggu-Casablanca corridor as long as 9.15 kilometers with investment value Rp 5.71 trillion.

Meanwhile, Jakarta Parliament (DPRD) member M Sanusi commented that road ratio increase must also pay attention to both technical and non-technical problems, especially since land acquisition in Jakarta is not easy. Thus, he suggests to increase road ratio by building flyovers or elevated roads.

“I think flyovers are more possible, because we know the obstacles in land acquisition,” he uttered.