PALEMBANG LRT OFFERS NEW LIFESTYLE

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 21 (Antara) - The 23.4-kilometer-long light rail transit (LRT) project being built by the government in Palembang will change the face of the South Sumatran provincial capital and the lifestyle of the local residents.          The LRT project, the work on which is 89.1 percent complete, is expected to become operational in July or before the Asian Games 2018 to be held in Palembang and Jakarta from August 18 to September 2, 2018.          According to Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi, the use of the new mode of transportation is expected to change the lifestyle of the people of Palembang City. Palembang is the first city in Indonesia to have the LRT mode of transportation.         "We, the central and regional governments, want the LRT mode of transportation to offer a new lifestyle to the urban residents in Palembang and to serve as a mass transportation model for other cities," Minister Sumadi noted in Palembang on Friday (Apr 21).

LRT PROJECTS EXPECTED TO SPREAD TO OTHER CITIES

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 24 (Antara) - The government is expediting the development of Light Rail Transit (LRT) projects in Jakarta and Palembang hoping they would be finished and operational before the 18th Asian Games in the two cities next August.         However, the development of LRTs in the Capital City of Jakarta and the South Sumatra Provincial Capital of Palembang is being carried out not only to welcome the Asian Games but also expected to serve as a trigger for the development of the same transportation system in other cities in Indonesia.         "Actually, building (LRT) is not just because of the Asian Games. It is only a trigger. The construction of LRT in Palembang (and in Jakarta) is an example of mass transportation in urban areas,"  Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi stated in a written statement in Jakarta on Tuesday.         Traffic gridlocks are a big problem in big cities like those in Jakarta and other big cities in the country. The present of LRT system is therefore expected to offer alternative transportation system which is effective and efficient for urban people.