Illegal Buildings Rampant along Kota-Tanjung Priok Railway Track
Reported by Budhi Firmansyah Surapati | Translated by Nugroho Adibrata
PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI)’s plan to operate Kota-Tanjung Priok railway track in this mid-October had to be cancelled because illegal buildings are still rampant along the track. Hence, the operational of the railway track is decided to be done in upcoming December.
If the railway track had sterile from illegal buildings, we will operate Kota-Tanjung Priok railway track. Illegal buildings can endanger train trips
“If the railway track had sterile from illegal buildings, we will operate Kota-Tanjung Priok railway track. Illegal buildings can endanger train trips,” stated Head of Public Affairs for PT KAI Jakarta Operation Regional 1, Agus Komarudin, Friday (10/17).
Moreover, Komarudin explained that the 10-kilometer railway track was last operated in 1999. After the operational stopped for 15 years, some points are full of illegal buildings, such as along Kampung Bandan Atas and Ancol railway tracks. Those buildings are used as residential and business places.
250 Illegal Buildings Around Railway Tracks Dismantled“From the evaluation we did, there are still some technical obstacles that need to be resolved. Additionally, the track is not sterile yet, particularly around Kampung Badan Atas and Ancol. We don’t have concrete data on the amount of illegal buildings. But in December, we’ll hold socialization to the building owners and ask them to leave the place, and then do sterilization,” he uttered.