Researcher: Depok's LRT Must Go Beyond Margonda

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A public transportation expert from Universitas Indonesia Jachrizal Sumabrata, said that the government should consider the idea proposed by the Depok Regional Representative Council (DPRD) to construct a light rail transit line in Depok - as it could act as a feeder for the Commuter Line - which would be helpful for those who live around Cibubur.

"Generally speaking this is a good plan, but we must be cautious on how to integrate all these modes of mass transportation, so passengers don't get lost in a sea of maze, just for trying to move from one train to another," said Sumabrata on Tuesday, April 12, 2016.

Sumabrata said that the problem that is often overlooked in the grand design of mass transportation is the integration aspect of the entire scheme - and since rail is still considered as the most effective means of moving people of Depok about, the entire solution must included the ways through which Depok's railways could be optimized.

Commuter lines, for example, could theoretically carry 30,000 passengers per hour - which its' lighter LRT counterpart could only carry 10,000-20,000 passenger per hour. "The LRT could act as the feeder for the more efficient commuter line - this truly is an idea that needs to be explored further," said Sumabrata.

Sumabrata continued that if the plan goes to fruition, the LRT line should not terminate in and around the Margonda area - instead, it has to run alongside Depok's major railway station. "If LRT tracks end in Margonda, then how are these passengers going to continue their journey? Without proper planning, the construction of this LRT would defeat its' own purpose," Sumabrata said.

A graduate student at the University of Indonesia's School of Social and Political Sciences, Grady Negara, said that the construction of an LRT network is on the right track, but the it should follow a more radial, rather than concentrated model. "LRT should not only be constructed in Depok, as there should be similar means of getting around and about across Greater Jakarta region," Grady said.

Furthermore, continued Negara, the government needs to ensure that these mass modes of rapid transportation is safe and secure, because only when it is safe, secure and comfortable would residents begin to shift towards public transportation.

IMAM HAMDI

Source: Researcher: Depok's LRT Must Go Beyond Margonda