VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo visited the construction of Mass Rapid Transit -MRT project in the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout and Senayan area, Jakarta on Wednesday. He said that the visit was aimed to ensure that the project is running on schedule. He also stated that his visit was also to ensure Jakarta’s readiness ahead of Asian Games to be held in August. The President stated that the MRT construction project has been running according to the schedule and will start operating in March 2019. Ahead of the Asian Games, the President hopes that the traffic in Jakarta, especially in Senayan area, will not be disturbed by the construction of MRT.

“I came to see the development of our big project namely MRT. I want a certainty that according to the schedule and according to the time that has been set since the beginning. I asked the Director that this project will be completed on time. That can be commercially operated next year in March. Then, the second one relates to the Asian Games in August 2018. The Jakarta governor also conveyed that the wide pavement in Semanggi to Senayan area will be finished as well. It's already started. So really when we welcome the Asian Games guests as many as 30 thousands of athletes and guests later. Jakarta is really ready, clean, beautiful, and we expect everything on time,” President Joko Widodo said.

According to data from PT MRT Jakarta, the total project of MRT development has finished more than 91 percent. It is including the elevated and the underground construction that connect from Lebak Bulus to Hotel Indonesia Roundabout. The first phase of MRT construction reaches 16 kilometers connected by double track railway. During the visit, President Joko Widodo was accompanied by Minister of Transportation, Budi Karya Sumadi, Governor of Jakarta, Anies Baswedan, President Director of PT MRT Jakarta, William Sabandar, and Chairman of the Nasdem Party, Surya Paloh. (VOI/Ndy)