Indonesia launches sky train in capital, hopes to ease traffic and pollution - Reuters
Indonesia launches sky train in capital, hopes to ease traffic and pollution | Reuters
Indonesia launches sky train in capital, hopes to ease traffic and pollution
[1/2]Indonesian President Joko Widodo speaks as he launches the Light Rail Transit (LRT) in Jakarta, Indonesia, August 28, 2023. Antara Foto/Hafidz Mubarak/via REUTERS. Acquire Licensing Rights
JAKARTA, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday launched the first elevated rail line for Greater Jakarta, hailing the $2.13 billion project as a step towards easing the capital's chronic road congestion and worsening air pollution.
The driverless, 41.2 km (25.6 miles) Light Rail Transit (LRT) system connects central Jakarta and its satellites cities in West Java, Bekasi and Depok.
People in Greater Jakarta commonly use a 418 km (260 mile) Commuter Line which serve around 1.2 million passengers per day.
Jakarta has been ranked among the world's most polluted cities since May and earlier this month topped the charts compiled by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir.
The president blamed the pollution on excessive road traffic and industries using coal and said nearly 1 million vehicles enter Jakarta each day.
"Jakarta is always on the top 10 of list of cities with the worst traffic jams," he said. "Traffic jams and pollution always exist in Jakarta."
The capital, which has a population of more than 10 million, is also served by an existing, 16 km long underground mass rapid transport (MRT) line that connect the southern areas to downtown Jakarta.
Indonesia has started building a new city on Borneo island called Nusantara to replace the congested Jakarta as capital of Southeast Asia's biggest economy. The project, which has no timeframe for completion, is a key part of the president's legacy as he prepares to leave office next year.
($1 = 15,294.0000 rupiah)
Reporting by Ananda Teresia; Editing by Martin Petty
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Read Next
Grid & Infrastructure Germany's August Global Investment plans to build hydrogen plant in Indonesia
Germany's Augustus Global Investment plans to invest $500 million in Indonesia's Aceh province to build a green hydrogen plant next year, its CEO Fadi Krikor said on Monday.
Related Knowledge Center: Air emissions
More than 30 years after the last major update of the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Supreme Court has upended the ability of Congress to give the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies broad scope to combat air pollution, including the emission of greenhouse gases. Meanwhile, further Biden administration efforts to limit emissions face opposition in the courts.