JAKARTA. The Jakarta mass rapid transportation (MRT) project would start in May as planned, Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo said after a leadership meeting at City Hall on Monday.

It had earlier been reported that Fauzi said that the ground breaking would take place in April.

The Rp 15.5 trillion (US$1.69 billion) project will see six underground MRT stations built in the first phase at Al-Azhar Mosque, Istora Senayan (Ratu Plaza Mall), Bendungan Hilir, Setiabudi, Bundaran HI and Dukuh Atas, and seven elevated stations at Lebak Bulus, Fatmawati, Cipete Raya, H Nawi, Sisingamangaraja, Blok A and Blok M.

Fauzi said that there were not any significant changes from the initial design, “only the station near Al-Azhar Mosque will be merged with the one in Blok M because the places are near to each other.”

MRT is the Jakarta administration’s newest attempt to solve traffic problems in the city after the monorail program was canceled in 2011. (The Jakarta Post)

Editor: Edy Can