Jakarta`s slums would be developed to become an environmentally healthy residential area
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Joko Widodo (Jokowi) pledged he would start Jakarta`s development from the slum area if he is elected governor of the capital city for the next five years.

Development of Jakarta should not start from the big business centers of Kuningan, Thamrin and Kota, he said in a candidate debate here, Friday evening.

Jakarta`s slums would be developed to become an environmentally healthy residential area, the mayor of the Central Java city of Solo said. The drainage system would be improved , the houses would be well arranged with green open public areas, he said.

He said he is optimistic he would not meet much difficulty in bringing modernity to slum areas in the city.

"The Jakarta city administration has a large budget. What it needs is determination to bring the plan to reality," he said.

Jokowi and his running mate Basuki Tjayha Purnama (Ahok) said the traditional market centers in Jakarta are in bad condition. Shoppers are discouraged to go to traditional market centers as they have no adequate parking places, he said.

Traditional market centers need rehabilitation to be competitive facing modern shopping centers, he said.

He criticized his rival incumbent Fauzi Wibowo (Foke) saying Foke has failed in coping with worse problem in city transport.

After five years in office what improvement has been made by Foke in reducing traffic jams in the city, he queried

He cited the big project of the Mass Rapid Transportation (MRT) has been left to lie idle after years of planning.

Jokowi said he has a new model of MRT , he called capsule monorail, to reduce traffic jams, a daily scene in the city.

He said capsule monorail could be built over the right and left sides of the city roads and need no land clearing, therefore, it is much cheaper.

Foke rejected the city administration being blamed for the delay in the completion of the MRT project saying "the fault lied with the investor".

(AS/f001)

Editor: Ella Syafputri
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