Green areas instead of gas stations on city's plan

Triwik Kurniasari ,  THE JAKARTA POST ,  JAKARTA   |  Thu, 03/19/2009 3:00 PM  |  City

The city plans to revive a program aimed at rejuvenating green areas in the capital, by closing down 25 gas stations and converting them into public parks.

Head of parks and cemeteries agency, Ery Basworo, said Wednesday the administration had allocated a budget of Rp 75 million to close down each gas station.

"It will be expensive to demolish the gas stations. We don't have much of a budget for that this year," Ery said at City Hall.

"So the first step will be to close every gas station along the city's green areas.

"We will do this in September. We will inform every gas station owner before we do that," he said, adding that the agency proposed to carry out the project in 2008, but the City Council had rejected it.

He said the administration owned the land the gas stations were built on and had rented it out to businesses.

"The gas station owners will not get any compensation because they do not own the land," he said.

"An exception will be made if the gas station owner has proof that they own the land," said Ery.

He added the agency had teamed up with the city's legal bureau to prepare for any possible lawsuits from gas station owners.

According to the agency, the gas stations occupied about 5 hectares of the city's green areas.

Some of the gas stations are in Central Jakarta, on Jl. Gereja Theresia, Jl. Diponegoro, Jl. Hayam Wuruk and Jl. Kwitang Raya, while others are in South Jakarta, on Jl. Suryo/Senopati, Jl. Lapangan Roos and Jl. Melawai Raya.

Green areas in the capital have shrunk with the burgeoning of skyscrapers, shopping centers, apartments, hotels and office buildings, which started in the early 1970s.

Deputy Governor Prijanto said green areas in the capital currently accounted for 9.9 percent of the city's area.

The administration's objective is to increase the city's green areas to 13.94 percent of the total area of Jakarta (63,744 hectares) by 2010, which is far below the 30 percent set by the central government.

Wati Amir, a legislator at the House of Representatives' Commission VII for energy affairs, urged the administration not be afraid to close down gas stations set up illegally.

"The administration should not be afraid of shutting down a gas station just because it is owned by a state official," said Wati.

"Gas stations shouldn't be built along one of the city's green zones like Pakubuwono."

"Today, children in the area have nowhere to play outside because there are very few parks there. So it's time for the administration to shut down those gas stations and convert them back into parks," said the member of the Golkar Party.

Many business people with political connections and state officials own gas stations around town.

One of the gas stations located on Jl. Jend. Sudirman, near the Semanggi bridge in Central Jakarta, belongs to Taufik Kiemas, former president Megawati's husband.

Wati said the administration should immediately implement its plan because green areas played a very important role in making the city more livable.