The AMIN National Team Explains Why Anies Chooses To Expand Railways: The Cost Is 1.5 Compared To Building Toll Roads

Presidential Candidate Anies Baswedan/DOK AMIN National Team

JAKARTA - The National Team for Winning Anies-Muhaimin (AmIN National Team) Thomas Trikasih Lembong or Tom Lembong revealed the reason for the presidential candidate number 1 Anies Baswedan preferring to increase the railway line compared to the construction of toll roads.

The former head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) said that the cost of building toll roads requires many times the value of the activation of the railway network.

"When I was still an economic adviser (former) of the Governor of DKI Jakarta, Pak Jokowi, to build a railway line, it might cost half compared to the construction of a toll road. It could even be 1/3 or even 1.5 (compared by toll roads)," said Tom Lembong at the AMIN Winning Headquarters, Central Jakarta, Friday, January 19.

Moreover, according to Tom Lembong, train operations can reduce logistics burdens because the fleet is used as a cargo carrier. Meanwhile, this function cannot be obtained from toll roads.

"Hopefully we understand the hundreds of trillions that have been poured into building toll roads. However, most of our logistics performance indexes have actually dropped. Then, ICOR (incremental capital output ratio), or I further input/output ratio, capital entry or capital exit also decreases," he explained.

Previously, presidential candidate number 1, Anies Baswedan revealed that he prefers to increase the operation of the railway network in Indonesia as access to transportation.

The areas promised by Anies during the campaign in the last few days include the double track rail line on Kertapati-Tanjungkarang-Bakauheni, as well as the railway network connecting Banjarmasin and Banjarbaru.

Anies' view is different from President Joko Widodo's policy which during his reign in the last two periods has intensified the construction of toll roads of up to thousands of kilometers.

This was conveyed by Anies in an online presentation at the Indonesian Transportation Community National Working Meeting, Wednesday, December 6 evening.

"We hope to further activate the inter-regional railway line, especially on the island of Java, there are many railroad lines that need to be reactivated," said Anies.

The former governor of DKI Jakarta emphasized the need to increase the number of operating train fleets. Thus, the intensity of the departure of the fleet per day is still slightly improved. This, continued Anies, will also change the habits of people who have preferred to use private vehicles.

According to him, activating lanes and adding inter-regional rail networks is more efficient and has a maximum function than toll roads.

"This investment can actually be smaller than building toll roads, having a higher safety, then the effect of pollution is also lower, and will be able to build a higher sense of equality compared to being based on private vehicles," he added.