The city’s Public Works agency is acquiring land for the Mass Rapid Transit project running from Lebak Bulus to Dukuh Atas.

Wishnu Subagya Yusuf, head of the public works agency, said Tuesday his office would disseminate information to land owners this week, while the national land agency would make an inventory, implement land fencing, propose price lists for acquisitions and organise price negotiations.

“This year, we will receive Rp 40 billion for the land acquisition,” he said.

The administration already announced it would acquire land around Lebak Bulus to build a terminal station and MRT depot.

He said that if the prices were agreed in November or December, the agency could start acquiring the land. Land acquisition is scheduled to finish in 2009, so that the city administration can complete construction between 2010 and 2012.

Governor Fauzi Bowo said that he had already issued a gubernatorial decree on land planning for the first phase of the MRT, which planned to start operations in 2014.

The first phase would stretch 14.3 kilometers from Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta to Dukuh Atas in Central Jakarta. The project will connect several traditional market areas, such as Blok M, Blok A, Mede Fatmawati, Benhil and Blora.

The second phase will be the construction of a line from Dukuh Atas to Kota in West Jakarta.

Fauzi said Monday that the Transportation Ministry was making a detailed engineering design for the MRT project.

The basic share capital to finance the MRT is Rp 200 billion (US$21.5 million), divided into 200,000 shares or Rp 1 million per share. The working capital deposited is 25 percent or 50,000 shares, worth Rp 50 billion.

Of the Rp 50 billion, 49,500 shares or Rp 49.5 billion are owned by the city administration and 500 shares or Rp 500 million are owned by city-owned market operator PD Pasar Jaya. — JP/Tifa Asrianti

Source: thejakartapost.com