The Surabaya administration in East Java has decided to restore its electric tram construction plan in this year's state budget (APBN).

Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini said the central government agreed to allocate Rp 2.7 trillion (US$203.1 million) from the state Sharia Sovereign Bonds (SBSN) and sukuk for the project, which is targeted to finish in 2019.

“The Transportation Ministry said in the meeting that the government would allocate Rp 100 billion from the APBN this year for the Surabaya electric tram. Next year the budget will be much bigger than that,” Tri Rismaharini told journalists on Thursday.

The administration has begun the construction process of the project by demolishing buildings around the electric tram's proposed track this week.

The administration has agreed that the initial phase of the construction will start on the North/South line. The construction will start from Jl. Tunjungan to Joyoboyo Station, which stretches for 11.4 kilometers. The station will function as a depot for 25 electric trams.

In the second stage the administration will start the project from Jl. Tunungan to Jembatan Merah a distance of 6.8 km.

Risma will coordinate with state railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) to revive the operation of Joyoboyo Station, and with the Surabaya Legislative Council to decide the tram fares and the government subsidy. (ecn/ebf)

Source:
courtesy of THE JAKARTA POST

by Wahyoe Boediwardhana Wahyoe Boediwardhana

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