Transport Ministry to Assess Surabaya Rapid Mass Transport System

Surabaya, E. Java (Antara) - The Transportation Ministry will soon study whether the Surabaya city administration's plan to develop a rapid mass transport (MRT) system is feasible. "Everything needs mature planning, including the plan to develop a tramway network so that it does not take a long time to implement it," Deputy Transportation Minister Bambang Susanto said on the sidelines of his visit to Tandes station here Friday. Surabaya has many railway-based transportation projects. These projects are considered to be the most complete among major cities in the country, Bambang said. The city is considering a number of railway-based transportation projects such as tramway, monorail, airport railway and logistic railway apart from commuter line and container railway, he revealed. Bambang said he has discussed the plan to develop the tramway network with Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini who wished to complete the project in the next two years. However, the transportation ministry, along with the state railway company PT Kereta Api (KA) still has to study the plan to develop the tramway network to see if it is feasible and can be completed in two years' time, he said. "We will look at everything, including licensing and other qualifications. For instance, there must be DED (detail engineering design). What is clear, we want the tramway network to be integrated with other transportation modes," he said. Meanwhile, Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini said she planned to explain the tramway network project to the new cabinet that will be formed after president-elect Joko Widodo is sworn in on October 20. She expressed the hope that the project would receive the blessings of the new cabinet so that it could be started early 2015 as scheduled. The city plans to build a tramway network as part of a rapid mass transport (MRT) system, in cooperation with state railway company PT Kereta Api (KA). To support the MRT project, the city government will set up a 'park and ride' facility, under which a park building will be integrated with the MRT system, secretary of the Surabaya city government, Hendro Gunawan, said here last month. The project will also be equipped with an intelligent transport system (ITS) which integrates information and communication systems, transport infrastructure, vehicles and road users, he said. The ITS will have closed circuit television (CCTV), auto traffic control system (ATCS) and camera counting which will help the whole transportation system to work effectively and efficiently, he stated. The project will cost an estimated Rp8.8 trillion, with the city administration only providing Rp400 billion. (*) Reported by Abdul Hakim