That is why the government should seriously fix these sectors, the president stated after awarding Wahana Tata Nugraha at the Presidential Palace, Wednesday.
According to him, the development of the transportation system and ensuring comfortable, safe and systematic ways of transport was necessary to overall national development.
"For an urban resident, the quality of public transportation is directly related to productivity. It leads to advantages in the economic and social domains, such as making it easier to take ones child to school," he noted.
The president said that it is the duty of the government to provide a public transportation system that the public likes.
The president also commented that Indonesia lacks in infrastructure development compared to other countries.
"We have been left behind. The Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system was planned 26 years ago but no decision was taken, leading to a cost overspill," he noted.
As per him, it should not take long for every infrastructure development project, otherwise the cost will become more expensive.
Speaking about the development of MRT in Jakarta, the president stated that he continues to monitor its progress.
"Every day I am monitoring the pace of MRT construction, although it is the responsibility of the provincial government of Jakarta," he noted.
As for the drilling process, he said in the last 93 day, it has reached 327 meters. The drilling process for these projects is expected to finish by the end of 2016.
The underground tunnel construction using a Japanese Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) began on September 2015 and is expected to be completed in December 2016.
"We saw that the Senayan station has started taking shape and we expect other stations to be finished soon," President Jokowi noted.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2015
