Govt to Expand Minangkabau International Airport
President Jokowi accompanied by Governor of West Sumatra buys Minangkabau Express tickets, at Minangkabau International Airport, Padang Pariaman, Monday (21/5). (Photo by: Rahmat/Public Relations)
After successfully realizing Minangkabau Express Railway construction connecting Padang city with Minangkabau International Airport, in Padang Pariaman, West Sumatra, President Joko Jokowi Widodo said that the Government to soon expand the airport.
I hope by the end of 2019 this airport will be able to accommodate 5.7 million passengers, President Jokowi said in his remarks at the inauguration of Minangkabau Express Train, at Minangkabau International Airport, Padang Pariaman, on Monday (21/5). Currently, the airport has a capacity of 2.7 million passengers per year. The Minangkabau airport train is the third in Indonesia after Medan (Kualanamu), North Sumatra and Jakarta (Soekarno-Hatta), according to President Jokowi.
The reason why we build the airport train from Jakarta Kota train station to Soekarno-Hatta airport is to reduce as much as possible the use of private cars on the streets, the President said.
According to the President, the Government will encourage the residents of Jakarta to use mass transportation, such as train, Transjakarta (bus rapid transit system in Jakarta), and there will be MRT (mass rapid transit) as well as LRT (light rapid transit).
Without public transportation, in any city around the world, traffic congestion would definitely occur because people tend to use private vehicles, Jokowi said.
In West Sumatra, especially in Padang city, the President continued, the Government expects people would prefer to use the airport train instead of private vehicles when they travel from Minangkabau International Airport.
For the record, the fare in Padang is very cheap compared Jakarta because the construction of airport train in Jakarta is carried out by a private company, while in Padang it is funded by the State Budget.
The ticket is very cheap. If you drive to this airport, the fuel cost must be more than Rp10.000 but with the same cost, you can buy one ticket to the airport using the train, President Jokowi said.
Also accompanied the President during the inauguration were First Lady Ibu Iriana, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Minister of Transportion Budi K. Sumadi, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono, Minister of Education and Culture Muhadjir Effendy, member of Presidential Advisory Board (Wantimpres) Sidarto Danusubroto, Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Archandra Tahar, Governor of West Sumatra Irwan Prayitno. (DNS/RAH/ES) (GWH/MMB/Naster)
