REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Mass transportation infrastructure such as Light Rail Transport (LRT), Mass Rapid Transport (MRT), Trans-Jakarta buses, fast trains, and airport trains should be integrated before the ASEAN Games 2018 in Jakarta, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated.

"The important aspect is that they must be integrated before the ASEAN Games 2018," Jokowi noted during the groundbreaking ceremony of LRT here on Wednesday.

President Jokowi made the statement while inaugurating the first phase of the LRT development project, which is expected to be integrated with the other modes of mass transportation in Jakarta.

Jokowi also wants all mass transportation-related projects to be initiated and completed on time, so that Indonesia can have mass transportation infrastructure at par with that in other countries.

Jokowi emphasized that all work on infrastructure projects should be initiated and completed in a set period of time.

"I want to say, Indonesia still lags far behind in the construction of mass transportation infrastructure," he remarked.

To this end, he pointed out that the development of mass transportation should be accelerated as it has been delayed since long, and now is the time to begin.

The head of state affirmed that the development of mass transportation infrastructure will not only be carried out in Java but also in Sulawesi and Papua in the form of train networks.

The construction of LRT, which will begin in Jakarta and the surrounding areas, is one of the rail-based modes of mass transportation that is considered to be environmentally friendly.

Director of Adhi Karya Kiswodarmawan stated that the elevated LRT will be constructed on spaces along the toll and non-toll roads.

"It will minimize land acquisition, while optimizing the use of land owned by the government," he said, adding that the LRT will be built in two stages, with a total length of 83.6 kilometers.

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