Dear Milis, Menarik untuk dibahas mengenai rencana pembangunan jembatan
Sumatera Jawa. Tulisan Bp.Prof. Danang Parikesit hari ini di Jakarta.saya
pikir, issue ini bukan isu lama, tetapi jika ini dapat dilaksanakan segera akan
mengakselerasi pertumbuhan ekonomi yang semakin baik antara Sumatera dan Jawa.
yang perlu dikaji lebih lanjut adalah sejauhmana dampak pertumbuhan ekonomi
Sumatera dan Jawa dengan dibangunnya jembatan ini. yang pasti jika jembatan ini
dibangun akan membawa 'angin segar' dan mereduksi isu-isu ketimpangan ekonomi
wilayah.
Is it worth connecting Sumatra and Java?
Danang Parikesit ,
Yogyakarta
| Tue, 09/29/2009 1:15 PM | Opinion
In
recent months there have been public and media debates on the
possibility of connecting Sumatra and Java islands using either a
long-span bridge or an undersea tunnel. The issue has become more
appealing because of the involvement of an Indonesian business tycoon
acting as a possible investor on the project; a prominent and respected
national engineering consulting company; and the provinces of Banten
and Lampung. Both provincial governments have signed an agreement to pursue
the proposed connecting bridge, spanning 29 km, making it one of the
longest suspension bridges in the world. The bridge will cost US$10
billion and require 15 years to construct using public-private
partnership scheme. But the biggest question has remained unanswered: What will
it cost the government to build such a megastructure?
Drawn from the 2001 national origin destination survey data from
the Transportation Ministry, around 100 - 125 million people are
estimated to travel between Sumatra and Java, and potentially 20 - 30
percent cross the Sunda Strait each year in each direction, creating a
serious threat to the efficiency of the national transport system. The effort
to increase the capacity of the existing system
between the two islands has been hampered by the fact that the current
ports and ferry crossings cannot provide adequate services. So far, the bottle
neck in the Merak-Bakaheuni ferry crossing
has not been addressed properly, creating frustration among travelers
and the trucking industry. While debates on technical issues are mostly
surround the
possibility of connecting the islands by bridge or tunnel, the
proponents of a more conservative and prudent system are in favor of
modernizing the ferry services by increasing the capacity and improving
the quality of existing ferry crossings. The latter argues that the costs of
improving the ferry
services would be far less than constructing a bridge or tunnel, and
mobility between both islands could be improved greatly and the sea
transport industry could be revived. As a maritime country, the policy
should, as far as possible, promote the use of existing ferry services,
which will send a strong message for an affirmative policy on sea
transport services. However, with the current and future ferry crossing
technology, in 20 years time the need to cater for double the amount of
today's passengers and goods annually and in a much higher speed than
we currently enjoy is the main challenge for the ferry crossings. Can it meet
such demand? The use of a bridge and a promise to
reduce the travel time to 30 minutes between the two islands is
obviously an appealing proposal despite the disaster and security risks
that need to be assessed and addressed. The presence of an active Mt. Krakatau
has positions the bridge in a prevailing and constant danger of earthquake and
tsunami.
In the opposite side of the coin, however, a huge travel time
reduction means that the cost of Indonesian commodities and services
could stay competitive in the global market. Who are the losers and gainers?
Looking at the current economic structure of Banten and Lampung
as the proponents of the Sumatra-Java Bridge, both provinces are
actually confronted by serious threats not opportunities. The biggest threat
comes from the fact that there is a little
economic interdependency between the two provinces and thus connecting
the two provinces will have a low impact on strengthening their
economic condition. The number of travellers and flow of commodities between
them
are so small, which will mean that they both rely on their economic
development with Jakarta or West Java. The reality is that it will be Jakarta,
South Sumatra and also
West Java that enjoy the largest benefits from the Sumatra-Java link,
more than Banten and Lampung, although not without significant economic
and business risks. The danger of losing a robust local economic development in
Lampung for instance, will also be a significant issue that needs to be
dealt with. With easy access and investment-hungry capital from
Jakarta, South Sumatra and West Java, local farmers and producers in
Lampung might be out of sight, leaving local governments to deal with
rural-to-urban migration and the problem of urban poverty. Connecting Sumatra
and Java is a top priority in the
development agenda of the Indonesian government. The message is very
clear. This project should be developed by the central government,
not only because it involves a huge government financial and political
support, and a meticulous process in drafting the concession agreement,
but the public perspectives of such a project are too important to be
left in the hands of the private sector and two provincial governments.
The public costs will certainly be far beyond the construction
costs and if we take a wrong approach, we put our future economy at
risk. The project should be seen as a means to consolidating and
strengthening the economic base between southern Sumatra and western
Java which will hopefully created a competitive economy in the regional
or global market. In order to have a strong legal basis for the project, the
need to incorporate the project plan in the Indonesian mid-term
national plan is urgent and inevitable. However, the policy process and
formulation should be prudent and inclusive, involving various parties
and stakeholders. Prof. Dr. Danang Parikesit is a professor of
transportation at Gadjah Mada University, and is the secretary-general
of the Indonesia Transportation Society.
Tiar Pandapotan Purba, Ir
Urban Regional Planner & GIS
Bebonuk, Comoro, Dili, Timor Leste
+6707568265
Kemang Barat 7G, Jakarta Selatan.
+6281310418551
