Jokowi Asks Local Governments To Invest In Developing Green Energy Mass Transportation

President Joko Widodo chaired the inaugural plenary cabinet meeting with the ministers of the Advanced Indonesia Cabinet at the Garuda Palace, the capital city of Nusantara, East Kalimantan. (ANTARA/Mentari Dwi Gayati)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo emphasized the importance of local governments investing in the development of a green energy-based mass transportation system in Indonesia.

Dalam agenda pertemuan dengan para gubernur dan AJ gubernur di Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN), Kalimantan Timur, Presiden mengungkapkan kekhawatirannya terkait kualitas udara Jakarta yang masih buruk.

"Jakarta now has MRT, LRT, high-speed trains, all to reduce, but Jakarta's air quality index is still 190-200, far above the maximum limit of only 50," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, August 13.

President Jokowi warned cities that are starting to experience congestion and pollution, because it can have an impact on public health, especially on children.

He encourages careful planning in mass transportation designs, including options such as Autonomous Rail Transit (ART) which are cheaper than MRT and LRT.

Jokowi noted that the MRT development costs reached IDR 1.1 trillion per kilometer during his reign as governor, now increasing to IDR 2.3 trillion.

The LRT and high-speed trains also have high costs. The LRT reaches IDR 799 billion per kilometer and the Fast Train IDR 780 billion per kilometer," Jokowi added.

Jokowi said, ART at a cost of Rp74 billion for three carriages and monthly operations of Rp500 million, could be an alternative choice for local governments to invest in green energy.

The Head of State also reminded local governments about the challenges in building and operating mass transportation systems such as MRT.

In his statement, Jokowi asked about the readiness of governors, regents, or mayors in building the MRT, by mentioning that operational costs are the main issue.

The President underlined that the construction of MRT, LRT and high-speed trains generally suffered financial losses. To cover operational costs, there needs to be subsidies from the APBD.

For example, Jokowi said that the Jakarta MRT which requires a budget of around Rp800 billion per year is only for operational costs.

The President estimates that if all MRT lines are completed, the APBD needs to allocate around IDR 4 trillion.

President Jokowi also emphasized the importance of choosing between mass transportation investments or facing annual losses due to congestion which reached Rp65 trillion, and more than Rp100 trillion for Jabodetabek.