Bekasi Regency Government ask for LRT to be extended to Cikarang
This article has been translated by PwC Indonesia as part of our Indonesia Infrastructure News Service. PwC Indonesia has not checked the accuracy of, and accepts no responsibility for the content.
Investor Daily: Pemkab Bekasi minta LRT diperpanjang hingga Cikarang
21 October 2019
By: Tri Murti
Bekasi – Bekasi Regency Government asks for Jabodebek (Jakarta-Bogor-Depok-Bekasi) Light Rail Transit (LRT) operation to be extended to Cikarang as the transportation mode can replace private vehicles going to Jakarta.
“Since LRT is said to be able to shorten travel time from Cikarang to Jakarta, citizens will not have to use their private vehicles anymore,” Bekasi Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda) Head Slamet Supriyadi said in Cikarang, Bekasi on Friday (18/10).
According to Slamet, the regional government has asked the Toll Road Regulatory Agency (BPJT) of the Transportation Ministry to extend the LRT tracks to Cikarang.
“Yes, we have asked the BPJT of the Transportation Ministry. We have sent the official letter [of request], there are two in total,” he said.
He revealed that the LRT tracks would still use the sides of Jakarta-Cikampek toll road as the request is only for the extension of the tracks to Bekasi Regency.
“The LRT track extension is part of our dream of having LRT going through Bekasi Regency,” Slamet stated.
Slamet said that the population growth in Bekasi Regency that reached 3.8% was a problem of its own for the regional government. Population in Bekasi Regency currently reaches 3.7 million individuals with a growth of 140,600 individuals yearly.
“It is said that the population growth in Bekasi Regency is the highest in West Java. This is a problem for us. Population growth can be a potential for demographic bonus, but it is also a burden for the regional government, West Java, and the central government. It should be a shared attention,” he said.
With the rapid population growth, the regional government must provide a mass transportation mode that is more variative, and the road infrastructure must also be widened to mitigate congestion.
Automated Guided Train
On the other hand, BPJT Head Bambang Prihartono said that there had yet to be an agenda for a discussion about the LRT track extension to Cikarang. “The end of the LRT tracks is still in Bekasi Timur (bordering with Bekasi Regency), not Cikarang,” Bambang said.
However, the Transportation Ministry will still build a mass transportation mode similar to the LRT, but its route will surround the industrial area in Cikarang, it will be called the Automated Guided Train (AGT).
“The BPJT’s plan is to build a mass transportation around the industrial area of Cikarang. [The transportation mode] is AGT, which will be integrated with LRT in Bekasi Timur,” he said.
Bambang said that AGT would function as a feeder from LRT in Bekasi Timur. “The construction is planned to commence in 2021,” he revealed.
Meanwhile, trial run for the Cibubur-Cawang route of Jabodebek LRT started on 18 October 2019. This trial run is carried out after an LRT train was lifted onto the Jabodebek LRT tracks on Sunday (13/10) and after the Cawang-Cibubur route construction progress has reached 85%.
Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan explained that Jabodebek LRT service is divided into three routes, namely Cawang-Cibubur, Cawang-Kuningan-Dukuh Atas, and Cawang-Bekasi Timur. However, the trial run that is conducted on 18 October 2019 is implemented on the Cawang-Cibubur route. Then, the trial run will also be carried out on other routes until it is set to be operational in November 2021.
PT Adhi Karya President Director Budi Harto added that the construction of infrastructures for Jabodebek LRT until 4 October 2019 had reached 66.13% overall. On the Cawang-Cibubur route, the construction progress has reached 85.7%, Cawang-Kuningan-Dukuh Atas route construction has reached 56.1%, and Cawang-Bekasi route construction has reached 59.5%.
