DPR Highlights Manado Toll Road Still Quiet, Losses Reach Rp300 Billion Per Year

Manado Toll Gate. (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Member of Commission V DPR RI from the PDI-P faction Yasti Soepredjo Mokoagow highlighted that the Manado 'Bitung' toll road, which is currently claimed to be empty of users.

According to Yasti, the Manado 'Bitung Toll Traffic (traffic) has not been in accordance with the traffic assumptions stated in the Toll Road Concession Agreement (PPJT).

The findings in the field stated that this made the state lose IDR 300 billion per year.

"Then a little, the Minister (Public Works) gave input that until today the Manado 'Bitung Toll Road is still at a loss, yes, and every year if I'm not mistaken more than Rp. 300 billion, the government must provide subsidies," said Yasti at the Commission V Working Meeting of the DPR RI together with the Ministry of Public Works at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Wednesday, November 26.

In order to increase traffic (traffic) in these sections, Yasti suggested that the government can agree with BUJT to provide toll tariff discounts.

This is done to increase public interest through the Manado 'Bitung Toll Road.

In addition, diverting vehicles to the Manado 'Bitung Toll Road is needed to maintain the quality of the national road.

"If we calculate the loss on toll roads plus the preservation, the budget for preservation on Jalan Manado 'Bitung is more than Rp400 billion. Why if we give a discount first, yes, we will increase the price for toll roads, so that people get used to using the toll road first," he said.

"That first avoids waste of the budget for preservation on national roads and then minimizes the government's burden on paying losses to the Manado 'Bitung Toll Road," he concluded.

Previously, the Minister of Public Works, Dody Hanggodo, said that there were still several challenges to meet the minimum service standards (SPM) of toll roads.

One of them is that there are still toll roads whose traffic volume is less than 50 percent of the PPJT assumption.

The lack of traffic volume achievement has an impact on toll road maintenance.

"Let us convey that there are still several toll road business entities (BUJT) whose traffic volume realization is much lower than we assume in the toll road business agreement," said Dody at a Working Committee Meeting with Commission V DPR RI at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Wednesday, September 24.

Rendahnya realisasi trafik diyakini berdampak pada jumlah pendapatan yang tidak sebanding dengan biaya operasional dan maintenance sampai masa konsesinya.

"Akibatnya, pendapatan tol tidak tercapai dan BUJT mengalami kesulitan membiayai pemeliharaannya, sehingga pemenuhan SPM pun tidak bisa optimal," ucap dia.

The low realization of traffic is believed to have an impact on the amount of income that is not proportional to operational and maintenance costs until the concession period.

"As a result, toll revenue was not achieved and BUJT had difficulty financing its maintenance, so that the fulfillment of SPM could not be optimal," he said.