Water taxi to launch despite problems

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Jakarta administration has continued to shrug off criticism of its water taxi project, saying it is confident about launching the project in the near future despite incomplete infrastructure and rivers full of debris.

Governor Sutiyoso said recently the city administration still wanted to launch the service soon, regardless of its problems, in order to promote the use of rivers for transportation.

"It's not just a matter of (raising awareness for) commercial purposes," he said.

"We also want people to begin a new habit of not throwing garbage in the river because it could interfere with the water taxis."

The water taxi launch was initially slated for the end of this month. The planned service will ply a 4.2-kilometer route from Karet in Central Jakarta to Manggarai in South Jakarta.

The city administration has already provided two speedboats, named Kerapu III and Kerapu VI, for the route. The boats previously serviced routes in Kepulauan Seribu regency, better known as the Thousand Islands.

The administration has also built water taxi stops in Karet Belakang, Halimun and Dukuh Atas.

Khairul, the captain of one of the vessels, said that the biggest problem for him was garbage along the river.

He said that several kinds of garbage, such as thick plastic and fabric, got stuck in boat's motor.

"Unlike with passengers on a bus, where they can easily move to another bus if it breaks down, I still have no idea how to manage it if that happens to a water taxi," he said.

Khairul added that there was no alternative but for the city administration to improve the condition of the Ciliwung River to allow water taxis to operate smoothly.

Jakarta Transportation Agency head Nurrachman said he had coordinated with other agencies to clean up the water taxi route.

"It's a matter of people's awareness because they're always throwing their household garbage in the river. So people have to play an important role in the program," he said.

The water taxi service is part of the city's integrated Mass Rapid Transport project, which also involves the busway, subway and monorail projects.

The busway was launched two years ago. It now comprises seven corridors linking a number of areas of the city.

The two most ambitious projects, the subway and monorail system, are estimated to cost the city a combined total of US$1,450 billion.