The toll road is still free, and it is estimated that since the start of January 2019, several drivers, who repeatedly cross the Lematang-Kota Baru toll road, will get a feel of the road.
The opportunity can also be utilized to enjoy the scenery on both sides of the toll road that is still lush green with trees.
The condition of the toll road is still quiet but smooth, with scenery all green. The road conditions are certainly quite different from those of the traffic-stricken Cross-Sumatra Road, with craters, and right-hand side of the road covered with "concrete forest."
However, an electronic toll card, or e-toll, is needed to enter the Trans Sumatra Toll Road.
The presence of toll roads in Sumatra, especially in Lampung, has long been awaited due to the main impact is accelerating regional economic development.
While reviewing the construction of the Trans Sumatra Toll Road in Sabahbalau Village, South Lampung, in the first week of November 2015, MPR Chairman Zulkifli Hasan stated that the people of Lampung Province had been awaiting the toll road to be built since some two decades.
At that time, Hasan from Lampung also remarked that the community had been awaiting the toll road to become operational since long, as earlier they were only given a promise that had never been realized.
The highway is currently ready to be used in the Lampung area. The 140.94-kilometer (km) Bakauheni-Terbanggi Besar Section of the toll road is also planned to be inaugurated by President Joko Widodo on Saturday, December 22, 2018.
The first stone for the construction of the Trans Sumatra Toll Road was laid by President Widodo in Sabahbalau Village, South Lampung Regency, on April 30, 2015. In April 2018, the Trans Sumatra Toll Bakauheni Port Section-Bakauheni Interchange measured 8.90 km, while the Lematang-Kota Baru Section along 5.64 km had been inaugurated. The two sections of the toll road are part of the Trans Sumatra Toll Road, Bakauheni-Terbanggi Besar Port.
Various preparations and checks were conducted ahead of the inauguration of the Trans Sumatra Toll Road Bakauheni-Terbanggi Besar section, and the result is that the toll road is ready for use.
Governor of Lampung Muhammad Ridho Ficardo and Deputy Governor Bachtiar Basri evaluated the readiness of JTTS by carrying out a convoy with Lampung Regional Police Chief Insp. Purwadi Arianto and Lampung Regional Police ranks on Saturday. They passed through the Lematang Toll Gate to the Bakauheni Toll Road, returning through the New City Toll Gate.
After checking, the governor ensured that the JTTS Bakauheni-Terbanggi Besar section was ready for use.
Meanwhile, Head of Sub-Directorate of Security and Safety of the Lampung Regional Police Directorate General AKBP Junaidi remarked that the survey results showed that JTTS was feasible for use, and that street lighting facilities were installed along the JTTS Bakauheni-Terbanggi Besar.
The backbone of national logistics system
According to the governor of Lampung, the use of JTTS Bakauheni-Terbanggi Besar will facilitate public access, and Lampung`s economy will grow rapidly, as JTTS is the backbone of the national logistics system. Since JTTS is connected to the Radin Inten II Lampung Airport and the Bakauheni-Merak Executive Pier, the number of tourist visits to Lampung is also forecast to increase rapidly.
To attract tourists to Lampung, various facilities and infrastructure are still being built, while the regional government is also driving tourism business in the area by presenting cultural festivals and other performances. The Radin Inten II Lampung Airport is being developed into an international airport, while Lanudad Gatot Subroto will be a commercial airport to sustain the tourists` interest in Lampung.
The governor also noted that the opening of connectivity through JTTS will unleash investment opportunities in the new economic growth centers, both in the industrial and tourism sectors.
He expressed hope that the design of these areas would develop productive sectors to strengthen community empowerment and expand employment opportunities, not only in Lampung Province but also in the Sumatra region.
After the JTTS Bakauheni-Terbanggi Besar section was inaugurated in December, another toll road segment from Terbanggi Besar (Lampung) to Palembang is also expected to be used in April 2019, or two months ahead of the June target.
President Widodo admitted to urging the contractor, so that construction of the Trans Sumatra Toll Road for the Bakahuni-Palembang section can be inaugurated in April 2019.
The JTTS, starting from Bakauheni (South Lampung) to Palembang (Sumsel), measures 350 km in length and takes around eight to nine hours via regular roads but can take four to five hours via toll. The travel time of Bandarlampung-Bakauheni, which is some 90 km in length, is now two to three hours, due to the road conditions that are uneven and the volume of heavy vehicles. If via toll, the time taken can be around one to 1.5 hours.
To this end, while reviewing the construction of the JTTS Bakauheni-Terbanggi Besar section in November 2018, President Widodo expressed hope that the Trans Sumatra Toll Road would boost competitiveness and economic growth in the region.
Editing by Andi Abdussalam
Reporter: Eliswan Azly
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
