The Development of Rail-Based Mass Rapid Transport System Background

•The estimation of total traffic jams in Jakarta: The growth of roads in Jakarta currently is less than 1 percent per year and everyday at least more 1000 new automobiles took the Jakarta streets (DKI Jakarta Transportation Agency Data). The study conducted by Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) on 2004 stated that if there are no improvement on the transportation systems in Jakarta, it is estimated that the Jakarta’s traffic will be in total jammed in 2020 (Study on Integrated Transportation Master Plan, SITRAMP II).

•Economic Losses due to traffic jams in Jakarta based on the research result conducted by Yayasan Pelangi on 2005 was estimated to be Rp12.8 trillion/year which includes the value of time, fuel costs, and health costs. While based on 2004 SITRAMP II showed that if until 2020 there are no improvements made on the transportation systems then the estimated economic losses will reach Rp65 trillion/year.

•Air Pollutions caused by automobiles contribute 80 percent of pollution in Jakarta. MRT Jakarta itself is powered by electricity therefore it does not produce CO2 emissions to the city.

Based on these studies, it is obvious that DKI Jakarta desperately need a more reliable mass transportation such as MRT that can be an alternative transportation solution for the communities and also environmentally friendly.
Constructing the MRT network system is not merely economic and financial feasibility affairs, but more than that, constructing MRT reflects the vision of a city. The city’s life and economic activities depend on how easily the citizen travels/mobility and how often they can perform it to various destinations in the city. The main purpose in constructing the MRT system is to give the opportunity to the citizen to increase their travelling/mobility quality and quantity to be more reliable, trustworthy, safe, comfortable, affordable and more economical.