Ridwan Kamil's Promise To Build LRT For Bandung Residents In Today's Memory, March 16, 2017

Residents took pictures beside a replica of the LRT metro capsule on Jalan Dalem Kaum, Bandung, West Java, Wednesday (14/2/2019). The project was promised to be completed in 2020, but has not been completed until now. (Between/Raisan Al Farisi)

JAKARTA Memori hari ini, tujuh tahun yang lalu, 16 Maret 2017, Wali Kota Bandung, Ridwan Kamil (RK) berjanji akan segera membangun Light Rail Transit (LRT) berbiaya murah. Janji itu diungkapnya untuk menjawab keinginan warga Bandung memiliki transport massaman yang modern.

Previously, RK was once considered a carrier of hope for all Bandung residents. All of this was because RK wanted to increase the lives of local residents. An initiation that was able to bring RK to become the Mayor of Bandung in the 2013-2018 era.

The narrative of architects entering politics is not new. Many of them are able to show their capacity in terms of urban planning. Even though not a few are less fortunate. Aristek, Ridwan Kamil also doesn't want to miss the train' choosing a new career in politics.

He wants to prove his capacity as an architect. RK's belief grew stronger when the Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) together with the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) approved his intention to participate in the 2013 Bandung Pilkada.

RK was also paired with Oded Muhammad Danial. The selection of RK-Odet was not without reason. Both are considered capable of bringing change to Bandung. Political promises were also spread throughout the bandung.

The promise includes the intention of the two of them making Bandung like a fun city. He wants to make Bandung a city of Taman with modern mass transportation. An initiation that is expected to increase the lives of Bandung residents.

Pucuk di cinta ulam tiba. Warga Bandung melihat RK seperti sosok pembawa perubahan. Assumption itu dibuktikan dengan kemenangan RK-Oded dalam Pilkada Bandung 2013. Kemenangan itu membuat RK-Oded terpilih sebagai Wali Kota dan Wakil Wali Kota Bandung dalam masa bakati 2013-2018.

In order for residents and the city of Bandung to have a healthy feature, he intends to make Bandung a park city. A number of parks will be made thematically, for example, the Sports Park under the Pasteur-Surapati flyover (Pasupati), Taman Zikir.

Gold Park, and Gaul Elderly Park in Maluku Park. There will be electricity for music and gymnastics. The problems of Bandung residents, said Ridwan, include thousands of poor people and 600 thousand stressed people. Based on data from Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Bandung, this stress is the result of a combination of poverty and chaos in the city. RK wants a high Bandung happiness index," said Anwar Siswadi in his report in Koran Tempo entitled Ridwan Promises to Change Bandung into Park City (2013).

RK's promise to build many parks has begun to be realized. RK also intends to fulfill another promise: to present modern mass transportation. The promise was made again on March 16, 2017. Unmitigated, RK promised Bandung residents the construction of low-cost LRT.

RK menunggap dirinya sudah mendapatkan restu pemerintah pusat. Bahkan, ia sudah rapat dengan Kementerian Keuangan dan kementerian Perhubungan. Ia merencana peletakan batu pertama LRT untuk dua koridor akan berlangsung pada tahun 2017.

However, the hope is only hope. Efforts to present the LRT are only beautifully arranged in a mere promise. The implementation of such words is difficult to materialize. Even until now, the residents of Bandung have not tasted the promised modern mass transportation at all.

"It is possible that I will equate the technology with using the technology of the nation's children, namely the Metro capsule. Because finally the LRT was found to be the cheapest. In general, the LRT costs Rp. 400-500 billion per kilometer. This is because the local content of 95 percent is only Rp. 150 billion per kilometer, so 30 percent cheaper than the normal price," said RK as quoted on the Kompas.com page, March 16, 2017.