Already Tried in Beijing, President Jokowi: Jabodetabek LRT Development Should Start This Year

President Jokowi tries fast train LRT from Dongzhimen Station to Terminal 3 of Beijing Airport on Thursday (26/3)

On the second day of his visit to Beijing, People’s Republic of China (PRC), Thursday (26/3), President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) accompanied by First Lady Iriana and the entourage, review the integrated mass transit system that connects the subway, fast trains, buses , and the international airport.

In addition to the review, the President Jokowi also tries the fast train that departs from Dongzhimen subway station to the terminal 3 of Beijing Capital International Airport, which takes about 30 minutes, faster than by car or taxi that can reach 1 hour when traffic is smooth or not jammed.

In a press statement after the review, President Jokowi said that the transportation in big cities like Jakarta Indonesia covering Jabodetabek (Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang, Depok and Bekasi); Bandung; Surabaya; Makassar; and Medan should begin toward the Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT).

“LRT for Jakarta, then Jakarta – Bogor, Jakarta – Tangerang, Jakarta – Bekasi, Jakarta – Depok this year should we start, we had already decided,” President Jokowi said.

According to President Jokowi, the development of transportation projects could be done in collaboration with other countries. “Could be with Japanese or with Chinese, the most important is efficient, best quality, and affordable by the community,” he explained. Moreover, according to the President, the private and State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) will also be given the same opportunity to work on this LRT project.

President Jokowi admitted admiration for China’s development that is able to build a railway line thousands of kilometers in a short time. “Indonesia is also optimistic,” he said.

In addition to reviewing the mass transit system and tries fast LRT train from Dongzhimen station to the terminal 3 of Beijing Capital International Airport, the President Jokowi on Thursday (26/3) is scheduled to make a courtesy call to the Chinese President Xi Jinping, also scheduled to pay a courtesy call to the Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang and Chairman of the National People’s Congress of China Zhang Dejiang.

In addition, President Jokowi and PM Li Keqiang will attend a meeting of approximately 400 entrepreneurs of RI and China, and the two countries will agree on a number of cooperation.

Accompanying President Jokowi in this visit, among others, Coordinating Minister for Economy Sofyan Djalil, Minister of SOEs Rini Soemarno, and Head of BKPM Franky Sibarani. (Humas Setkab/SI/ES)