A Miracle in Jakarta

WITH a silver canopy shielding the top and glass panels installed on its left and right side, the building was noticeable even from afar. Situated right in the middle of the pedestrian way on Jalan M.H. Thamrin, Jakarta, is the pristine underground station of Bundaran Hotel Indonesia (HI) Mass Rapid Transit (MRT).

MRT is a new rail-based mass transit system in Jakarta. On Sunday, 24 March 2019, the commercial operations of Jakarta MRT was inaugurated by President Joko Widodo or Jokowi. Ahead of the inauguration to the end of March 2019, the public had a chance to ride the MRT for free during the trial run, and I got the opportunity to participate.

"Welcome, good afternoon, Sir. Are you here to try the MRT?" a man standing next to the stairs leading down to the underground platform welcomed me politely.

I walked around and explored every corner of the station that is adorned with white, silver, and gray hues, accentuating its modern and futuristic design. The MRT train is named Ratangga, which means war train or the train for the warriors, a name that quite contradicts its elegant interior.

Ratangga moves swiftly under the bustling capital, stopping at each of the five underground stations along M.H. Thamrin and Jenderal Sudirman streets. There is nothing rather special to see when the train is underground, as there is only complete darkness tailing behind it. 

Ratangga then comes out of the ground and rides along the elevated railway, approaching Sisingamangaraja station in Kebayoran Baru area. The war train continues piercing through the concrete jungle of skyscrapers in the south of Jakarta, floating above the tangled traffic congestion, passing seven elevated stations, and finally reaching the final station, Lebak Bulus.

The 16-kilometer trip from the city center to the south only takes around 30 minutes including a minute stop at each of the eleven stations. A miracle in Jakarta!

The End of the Railway

A similar miracle was once celebrated by the people of Jakarta after the Indonesian independence. After having to endure all sorts of discrimination, they could finally ride the tram at will without the need to board the second class railroad car as what they’re obliged to during the Dutch colonial era. The fare had also become more affordable.

Trams in Jakarta started operating in 1869. Initially, the tram was pulled by horses that were equipped with transversed iron connected to a controlling rope, coining the old term "the era of horses bite iron". Later on, the horse tram system was replaced by steam trams and eventually by electric trams.

Rather than riding a rickshaw or a jitney, the people of Jakarta preferred using the electric trams to reach the downtown areas situated along the route of Kota Tua "Old Town", Gajah Mada, Hayam Wuruk, Tanah Abang, Gambir, Manggarai, Senen, and Jatinegara. Government buildings, markets, residences, and shop complexes were lining up through these avenues.

<div class="quotes-center font-g text-align-center">“They aren’t suitable for modern big cities anymore, unless they are built underground.”<br>~Sukarno</div>

The cheaper option was to use the electric trains that served the Kota-Gambir-Manggarai and Tanah Abang-Manggarai-Jatinegara-Senen-Kota routes. Known as Ringbaan Djakarta, it operated under Djawatan Kereta Api Republik Indonesia (DKARI). However, as the trains and routes were very limited, they were always overcrowded with passengers.

DKARI intended to increase the amount of train sets but there was no money to spare from the funds. The train expansion was necessary as DKARI predicted the population of Jakarta would increase and the area would further grow. They expected that one day, the on-ground city railways would be completely removed and built under the earth's surface.

"We imagine the more advanced structure of the underground trains as seen in big cities such as London, Berlin, New York, and others. When will Jakarta accomplish that?" the Ministry of Information wrote in Kotapradja Djakarta Raya published in 1952.

Those big cities' transportation systems practically inspired the government to construct a rail-based mass rapid transit system, or MRT, in Jakarta decades later.

The Underground Train

In contrast with its city center, Jakarta was mostly surrounded by villages with lush trees and vast empty land. Reaching those villages from the downtown would require on average a 15-30 minute trip by a motor vehicle with a speed of 30km/hour.

The Municipal Government of Jakarta, which then was still a part of the West Java Province, decided to expand the town to the south area by building a satellite city in Kebayoran which was completed in 1949.

"The goal is to solve Jakarta's housing shortage problem," said Siswantari, lecturer at the Department of History Faculty of Humanities University of Indonesia.

The satellite city has exhaustive essential facilities such as roads, hospitals, religious facilities, police station, park, sports field, and schools, all arranged in a neat and convenient setting.

The residents only had to travel around 7 kilometers from Kebayoran to the city center which was accessible by a bus service operated by Perusahaan Pengangkutan Djakarta (PPD). The bus service would pass the two newly-built broad roads: M.H. Thamrin and Jenderal Sudirman.

The two major roads were also where President Sukarno intended to pour his ideas about modern Jakarta. In addition to wide roads, skyscrapers, and parks, Sukarno envisioned Jakarta as a city equipped with an advanced rail-based mass transit system. He wasn't quite satisfied with the trams and on-ground electric trains.

"They aren't suitable for modern big cities anymore, unless they are built underground," said Sukarno to Sudiro, governor of Jakarta from 1953-1959, as quoted in Karya Jaya: Kenang-Kenangan Lima Kepala Daerah Jakarta 1945–1966.

Sukarno's wish to discard the electric trams was obeyed by Sudiro. The tram line disappeared and was replaced by a road surface. In place of the tram, a new fleet of buses were roaming on the street where the tramway tracks once belonged.

However, the on-ground electric train line remained. Sudiro claimed it was impossible to replace it with underground tracks as the government didn’t have funds for it.

Soemarno, governor of the Special Capital Region (DKI) Jakarta from 1960-1964 and 1965-1966, showed his support to the notion of the underground train, especially because it can relieve traffic gridlocks from Thamrin to the business-economic hub and the old settlements such as Manggarai, Tanah Abang, Jatinegara, Senen, Hayam Wuruk, Gajah Mada, and Kota Tua.

Soemarno bet on the electric trains as the solution to Jakarta's severe traffic congestion. Back then, the electric trains served 80,000 passengers daily. However, many of its tracks intersected the highways. Every time a train passes, the gate arms will block the road and stop the vehicles from crossing, causing more congestion on the streets.

"Therefore, the only solution is to build under-ground in the city," said Soemarno in “Djakarta Raya Perlu Mempunyai Kereta-Api Dibawah Tanah (Underground)”, published by the weekly Djaja, 15 February 1964. He believed that the ground railway should be used by the trains bound for Jakarta's neighboring cities.

Soemarno planned to change the on-ground 9-kilometer long Manggarai-Gambir-Jakarta Kota and 10-kilometer long Jatinegara-Senen-Jakarta Kota train lines, the two routes that were always loaded with passengers, to underground lines.

The underground railways would be connected with the on-ground railways. Soemarno proposed Jakarta Kota and Manggarai as the transition stations from the on-ground to the underground railways, as well as establishing them both as the transition stations from and to outside of town.

Soemarno publicly asked the people of Jakarta to give their feedback on his ideas and promised to extend their aspirations to Sukarno.

A Jakarta citizen submitted his response to Soemarno's suggestion. "It will be very ideal to build an under-ground or mono-rail in this capital city," wrote Pandu Suharto in “Satu Segi Pemetjahan Praktis Masalah Pengangkutan di Ibukota”, published in Djaja, 23 October 1965.

Unfortunately, the 30th September Movement occurred in 1965, and in the days following the incident, Soemarno ended his tenure and was replaced by Ali Sadikin. On the other hand, Sukarno was overturned from his seat of power which was assumed by Soeharto.

During Ali Sadikin's term of office, Jakarta saw an increase in the amount of private vehicles. Ali knew that the solution to the traffic problems would depend on the use of public transportation, so he urged the citizens to switch to trains and buses. "The ratio of transportation use between train and bus is 60:40," said Ali Sadikin in Gita Jaya: Catatan H. Ali Sadikin Gubernur Kepala DKI Ibukota Jakarta 1966–1977.

However, that ideal ratio was hard to achieve, and Ali said uprightly it was impossible for Jakarta to fund the construction of the underground and elevated railways. Ali eventually switched his priority to providing buses that would operate along the new jam-packed route from Thamrin to Kebayoran Baru.

At that time, Kebayoran Baru was no longer considered a satellite city, as it had become a part of Jakarta after the city's expansion for it to be a metropolitan city. In addition, Kebayoran also helped stimulate the growth of the new economic and business zones in the south such as Blok M and Lebak Bulus.

It was also within this decade the term Jabotabek (Jakarta-Bogor-Tangerang-Bekasi) started to be used to represent the plan of expanding the metropolitan area not only to the south, but also to the west (Tangerang) and east (Bekasi). The central government fully supported the Jabotabek concept, which later would greatly influence the existence of public transportation in Jakarta.

Blok M-Kota MRT

In the 1970s, a transportation consultant from West Germany was invited by the central government and DKI Jakarta government to share their opinions and conduct a study on transportation systems based on routes and types of vehicles. Jakarta Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (JMATS) was assigned to study the road infrastructure and facilities while Mass Rapid Transit Study (MRTS) and Jakarta Rapid Transit Study Eastern Corridor (JRTSEC) were appointed to study the underground and elevated trains, focusing on the development of the electric train functions. "The train arrival interval was 10 minutes in the 12.5-kilometer long Kota and Jatinegara line," wrote Jakarta’s Traffic and Transportation Report from DKI.

However, both the central government and DKI Jakarta government agreed on the infeasibility of those studies due to the immense cost to fix the rail-based mass transit.

In 1977, Japan Railway Technical Services (JARTS), a Japanese transportation consultant, advised the Indonesian government, DKI Jakarta government, and Djawatan Kereta Api to build a 17.8-kilometer long elevated railways for the electric trains from Manggarai-Gambir-Kota. Japan was ready to help with the planning as well as the funding of the construction.

After their recommendation was approved by the central government, JARTS drew up a master plan to develop Jabotabek's electric trains. It was finished in 1981, revised in 1985, and was finally reported to Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), a technical cooperation assistance agency from Japan. Subsequently, the government issued Presidential Decree No. 26/1982 about the formation of a coordination team to oversee the construction of Jabotabek trains.

<div class="quotes-center font-g text-align-center">“The existence of MRT becomes a prerequisite for the city to function effectively and efficiently.”<br>~Eko Budihardjo</div>

The study conducted by JARTS and JICA in Urban/Suburban Railway Transportation in Jabotabek Area discusses the development of Jabotabek electric trains that integrate with the city's overall urban planning. Aside from that, the study also suggested the construction of new railways in two areas. First, the south to north line from Blok M-Kebayoran-Senayan-Sudirman-Thamrin-Gajah Mada/Hayam Wuruk-Kota. Second, the east to west line from Pondok Gede-Kebon Jeruk-Ciledug. The reason was because those routes were vastly growing and got more crowded each day, especially the south-north line.

The office complex, business centers, and settlements were particularly prominent throughout these routes, making more people overcrowded the areas and caused traffic congestion.

Minister of Industry A.R. Soehoed later explained the change in the Kebayoran-Kota route. "When you live in Kebayoran, you'll find that the road to Kota is very chaotic. People from Kebayoran to Senayan use the same road as people who come from Kebayoran on their way to Kota. That makes the road more congested," said Soehoed as quoted by Clayperon, January 1982.

Soehoed wanted an elevated or underground freeway so the vehicles could go up to 100 kilometers per hour. However, his personal suggestion wasn't in line with Jakarta's mass transit development plan at that time.

During Soeprapto's term of office as the governor of DKI Jakarta from 1982 to 1987, the idea of MRT was discussed and deliberated by the central government, DKI Jakarta government, and JARTS. After its revision in 1985, the study of JARTS and JICA put more focus on the transportation capacity to achieve maximum results with minimum investment by prioritizing the construction of the MRT system in the Blok M-Kota line.

The topic of MRT had started to surface in many deliberations about the development of rail-based public transportation, replacing the terms subway or underground. For the first time, the development of MRT was separated from PJKA because there was no railway in the Blok M-Kota line. The technology and type of trains are also most likely to be different.

JARTS analyzed the transportation in other densely populated cities in the world such as Tokyo, London, Paris, New York, and Hong Kong, all of which had a total population of 2 to 8 million which was below Jakarta's number. However, all of those cities had enjoyed or were in progress of building the MRT, or more familiarly known there as Metro.

London was the city where MRT was born in 1863, while Singapore had started studying MRT in 1972, constructing it in 1983, and officially operating it in 1987. Those data were presented in the thesis written by Zulfiar Sani titled “Perencanaan Pembangunan Sistem Angkutan Massal (Mass Rapid Transit) Subway di Jakarta” for his Master of Management degree at Faculty of Economics University of Indonesia in 1993.

Jakarta's population was 9 million in 1982, but there wasn't any adequate MRT system to serve that large population. The construction target for MRT that was set in 1992 eventually fell short because of many issues such as project postponement and funding problems.

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The Possibility of LRT

Not only introducing MRT, JARTS also gave an overview on an alternative mode of transportation called Light Rail Transit or LRT which was a lesser-known term in Indonesia compared to MRT.

LRT is practically similar to MRT in the way it uses electric power and advanced technology, has double tracks and short arrival intervals, and must operate on tracks that don't intersect the highways. 

The differences between LRT and MRT lie in the tracks and passenger capacity. While most of LRT's rails are elevated, MRT's rails are generally the combination of elevated and underground railways. The weight of LRT is also lighter, making its capacity to be less than that of MRT.

Wiyogo Atmodarminto, Jakarta's governor from 1987-1992 was interested in the concept of LRT. He knew that Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, had operated LRT since 1984. If it is possible in Manila, why can't it be in Jakarta? "Therefore, DKI proposed that light train system," said Wiyogo in Catatan Seorang Gubernur.

Wiyogo’s proposition received a response from PT Citra Patenindo Nusa Pratama, a company owned by Tutut Soeharto, President Soeharto's eldest daughter. The company has been the operator of Titihan Samirono ride at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) since April 1989. 

Titihan Samirono is an elevated train for the park visitors which loops on 3.2 kilometer tracks and moves using a combination of wind power and electric current, a system called aeromovel.

PT Citra expressed their willingness to invest on the aeromovel of the Blok M-Kota line. "In the future, aeromovel technology will be enjoyed by all levels of society. Not only by the lower class society who dream of fast and cheap transportation, but also by the middle class," said Irsan Ilyas, managing director of PT Citra, to Clayperon, No. 28 of 1989.

However, the aeromovel project was constrained by the bureaucracy of permit and certificate which were supposed to be issued by the Department of Transportation (Dephub) and Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT).

<div class="quotes-center font-g text-align-center">“If they’re integrated, it will be easier for people to come to a place without using their private vehicles.”<br>~Joko Widodo</div>

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The Postponement

The government finally started to get the ball rolling on the MRT project. Soerjadi Soedirdja, governor of DKI Jakarta from 1992-1997, favored the Blok M-Kota MRT line. He prepared preconditions for the construction of MRT such as limiting the use of private vehicles through Three-in-One regulation which obligates a minimum of three passengers in every car that passes certain roads at certain times, to persuade people to switch to and become accustomed with mass transportation.

The sponsorship for the MRT construction increased, one of them coming from an urban planner, Eko Budihardjo. Eko disclosed the recommendation resulting from the International Conference on Mobility and Transportation for Elderly and Disabled People in Lyon, France, in June 1992.

"One of the concluded recommendations is that for a city with a population of more than 3 million, the existence of MRT becomes a prerequisite for the city to function effectively and efficiently," wrote Eko Budihardjo, who was the dean of Faculty of Engineering University of Diponegoro Semarang, in “Paradoks Lalu-Lintas”, published by Kompas, 6 July 1994.

According to Eko, MRT indeed required a huge cost, and it would be nearly impossible for the investors to get a return on their capital in a short time, as it would need at least 40-60 years. In fact, many MRT operators on the other side of the world suffer from financial loss. However, Eko argued that the benefit of MRT in the future would be greater than its initial construction cost, as the MRT could lead to a cleaner environment in the urban areas, lower the fuel consumption, and provide affordable means of transportation for the people.

Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie was on the same page with Eko Budihardjo. He proposed a 14-kilometer underground MRT railway from Blok M to Kota. 

Through BPPT, Habibie collaborated with Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) to study the possibilities of MRT in Jakarta. The study result was published in 1992 titled Jakarta Mass Transit System Study, based on which Habibie suggested forming a team to study the MRT which would consist of BPPT, DKI Jakarta, Dephub, Bappenas, and PU.

In August 1994, the central government and DKI Jakarta government finally agreed on the construction of MRT, not only establishing the 20-kilometer south (Blok M) to north (Kota) line, but also the 40-kilometer west (Grogol) to east (Jalan Pramuka) line.

"To realize that plan, Habibie works together with two prominent conglomerates Aburizal Bakrie and Ir. Fadel Muhammad as the main prospective investors in the MRT construction," wrote Kompas, 23 February 1996.

The MRT construction cost was funded by the joint venture of the central government, DKI Jakarta government, and private investors from Indonesia, France, Japan, and Germany, members of Indonesia Japan Europe Group (IJEG). The investors from three countries had their own coordinator: Indonesian investors were coordinated by PT Bakrie Investindo, while the Japanese investors were under Itochu Corp., and the European investors were managed by Ferrostaal AG.

IJEG then assigned a consultant group to create a basic design for the MRT project which was finished in December 1996 and summarized in a report titled Jakarta Mass Rapid Transit Project Blok M-Kota.

"The basic design recommends the entire railway to be built underground," wrote Pacific Consultants International and Almec Corporation in The Study on Integrated Transportation Master Plan for Jabotabek (Phase I). The plan wouldn't involve land acquisition and harm the urban aesthetics. The train depot was said to be housed in the Fatmawati area.

After years of waiting, the people of Jakarta were delighted to welcome the MRT construction plan and expected to be able to use the MRT before the year of 2000.

However, as it turned out, the construction of Jakarta MRT was delayed from the schedule due to several causes such as dispute in tariff setting, difference in design, unclear division of authority and responsibility, disagreement over the distribution of the construction cost, and internal conflict among investors.

The DKI Jakarta government ultimately decided to reschedule the MRT construction, pushing the dates back to no later than 1997. Unfortunately, Indonesia was hit by an economic crisis and the plan was scattered.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Sutiyoso, the governor of DKI Jakarta from 1997-2007 tried to reignite the hope for MRT. The track would be adjusted and would extend from Kota to Fatmawati, as that route was crucial to the commercial and government sectors. Sutiyoso then went to meet President Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus Dur.

"I expect the subway to be built forthwith in 2001 because in my last meeting with President KH Abdurrahman Wahid, he has agreed that the subway must be made a priority," said Sutiyoso as quoted by Kompas, 15 November 2000.

Sutiyoso claimed that Japan had agreed to provide the construction fund through an external debt with a 40 year tenure and low interest. In return, Japan demanded the technology and train components to be supplied by their country.

The external debt for the infrastructure construction in Jakarta required the involvement of the central government, as a loan from a foreign country cannot be granted directly to the government of DKI Jakarta Province.

Sutiyoso arranged a discussion with five ministers involved in the project and found out that the subway was only the third priority of the national development plan after the Java-Sumatra piping project and the transportation development project in Surabaya.

Despite that, the central government asked Japan to do another study on the construction of MRT, which was carried out by JICA. The study was finished in 2001 and published with the title The Study on Integrated Transportation Master Plan for Jabotabek (Phase I). 

In the report, JICA recommends the Indonesian government to get a soft loan and to form and give limited support to MRT implementing agencies. Also, in order to maximize the use of MRT, several improvements need to be done, including implementing the electronic road pricing (ERP), increasing the fuel price, increasing the vehicle registration and parking fees, and prioritizing the improvement of train and city bus services (later called busway) as the feeders for MRT.

The government, however, hesitated to take action, and asked JICA to once again conduct a study. On the other hand, the people of Jakarta persistently pushed the government to solve the public transit problem as it had become increasingly alarming. Sutiyoso eventually found a way.

He traveled to Bogota, Colombia, to learn about the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in 2003 and discovered that the system provided a separated line for the buses across the city. Sutiyoso later implemented the same concept in Jakarta, calling the city's own bus service as busway, which is now familiarly known as TransJakarta. The first line of Jakarta's busway, which commenced its operation on 15 January 2004, is from Blok M to Kota.

In addition to the busway, Sutiyoso attempted to reduce the use of private vehicles through the use of monorail, which is completely different with MRT and LRT. Monorail uses a single rail, travels on the ground railway, and has a far lower capacity than MRT and LRT.

Sutiyoso agreed to collaborate on the monorail construction with Hitachi, a Japanese private company, in May 2004. Hitachi confirmed their readiness to fund, build, and operate monorail alongside other private investors in a large consortium.

"The funds to build a monorail are relatively cheaper for a mass transit," said Sutiyoso in Refleksi Pers Kepala Daerah Jakarta 1945–2012: Sutiyoso. According to him, the monorail project is included in Jakarta's macro transportation blueprint along with the subway and busway.

The monorail tracks were consisted of blue line (Kuningan-Senayan) and green line (Kampung Melayu-Roxy). The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by President Megawati Sukarnoputri in Senayan on 14 June 2004.

After the monorail beams had been installed in several points throughout the blue line, the discussion regarding MRT construction reemerged. In 2004, the Ministry of Transportation and DKI Jakarta government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the development of MRT with the Lebak Bulus-Kota line as a priority. A year later, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono established MRT as a national project.

The loan for constructing MRT was given by Japan Bank for International Corporation (JBIC). JICA, which previously had done some studies about MRT, was involved as an assessor. JBIC and JICA later merged and formed the "new" JICA that can provide support such as technical collaborations, soft loans, and grants.

While the MRT dream was starting to take shape, the construction of monorail was halted due to funding problems. Now, the beams that were supposed for the monorail were neglected around Kuningan and Senayan area.

During his term of office, Sutiyoso focused more on the development busway as he didn't have enough time to handle the MRT project.

In line with JICA's recommendations, Fauzi Bowo or Foke, Jakarta's governor from 2007-2012 established a municipally owned limited company, PT MRT Jakarta, on 17 June 2008. In the same year, the loan agreement on the construction phase was signed, along with the agreement to conduct a feasibility study on the MRT construction.

At the end of his term of office, Foke inaugurated the first phase of the MRT construction project from Lebak Bulus to Bundaran HI.

When Jokowi governed Jakarta from 2012-2014, the physical construction of MRT began. The groundbreaking ceremony was held in what is now Dukuh Atas MRT station in October 2013. The piles for the MRT were installed. One by one, the box girders for the routes were connected, followed by the installation of the railways.

During the MRT construction, Jokowi proposed the monorail project to be resumed, but the idea was opposed by deputy governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama or Ahok because the location for the monorail depot was situated above a reservoir not far from a flood embankment, making it riskier for the reservoir to be broken if the depot was to built there.

Ahok preferred carrying out the LRT plan suggested by Adhi, a state-owned (BUMN) contractor. LRT will connect Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, and Bekasi, and one of its tracks will intersect the MRT and KRL railways in Sudirman area. LRT involved PT Kereta Api Indonesia as the operator and BUMN as the financier.

Even though Jokowi ascended his political career and assumed the position of Indonesia's president, the construction of MRT was continued by Ahok as DKI Jakarta's governor from 2014-2017. The giant drilling machine to build the underground railways arrived, followed by the sets from Nippon Sharyo company. The construction of LRT also began in 2015. The construction of the first phase of MRT was concluded years later during Anies Baswedan's time as Jakarta's governor.

The MRT finally came into being. However, Jakarta's traffic issues were not going anywhere anytime soon. MRT can't stand on its own as it can't function effectively without the support of the other modes of public transportation.

During the inauguration of the MRT on 25 March 2019, Jokowi pointed out the importance of integrating all modes of public transportation.

"If they're integrated, it will be easier for people to come to a place without using their private motorcycle or private car, because it is more convenient and faster to use MRT, Transjakarta, or LRT that will soon be finished. That is our hope," said Jokowi.

With the realization of MRT, there comes another dream that there will be more miracles happening in Jakarta in the near future.