Ministers Share Impressions after Riding Jakarta LRT

A Light Rail Transit (LRT) station. (Photo by: PR of Cabinet Secretariat/Rahmat)

Before inaugurating the Greater Jakarta Light Rail Transit (LRT), President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo Monday (08/28) invited a number of ministers to experience the LRT train on a trip from Harjamukti Station in Depok, West Java to Cawang Station in Jakarta.

Afterwards, several ministers shared their experiences to the journalists, including Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani.

She said that she is delighted because Jakarta and its satellite cities can be more connected with LRT.

“Jakarta, as a metropolitan city, has a large number of population. Its satellite cities such as Bogor, Tangerang, Bekasi also have dense population with high mobility. Therefore, infrastructure for mass transportation is a necessity,” she said.

Echoing similar view, Minister of State-owned Enterprises Erick Thohir stated that public transportation is a priority. The facility must also continue to be improved since Jakarta is a densely populated metropolitan.

“Public transportation must become our current priority. MRT [mass rapid transit], LRT, and all the supporting facilities must also be improved because, once again, public facility must come first in the city which is among the most populated cities in the world,” he said.

In the meantime, Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi expressed belief that mass transportation including the LRT offers more than increasing people mobility to the city. It introduces us to a new environmentally friendly, cost effective, and fast transportation mode.

“One more thing, we can learn a new culture; we are taught to greatly value time, to maintain cleanness because eating is prohibited in the train. Those are the new culture that can be developed in our society,” he said while expressing hope the LRT can also be adopted in other cities.

In addition, the ministers expressed hope that the Greater Jakarta LRT can serve as a solution to ease congestion in the capital and neighboring cities, as well as to improve Jakarta’s air quality. Thus, public participation to shift from using private vehicle to mass transportation is the key to tackle pollution issue.

“We do hope more people can use public transportation as it can reduce the number of private cars on the roads and also improve air quality in Greater Jakarta areas,” Sri Mulyani said. (KS/UN) (RAS/LW)