The Asian Games, the biggest multi-sport competition outside of the Olympics, is being held in Palembang and Jakarta this August. While officials seem confident construction is on track for the facilities needed to host the games, many are concerned the perpetually gridlocked Indonesian capital won’t be able to handle the transportation needs of all the additional visitors that will be coming later this year.
That’s why the government is literally trying to fast-track the first phase of construction on Jakarta’s Light Rail Transit (LRT) system, which will link Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, to the soon-to-be-completed velodrome in Rawamangun, East Jakarta.
However, a serious accident involving a part of the LRT construction site in Pulogadung collapsing on Sunday night left five workers injured and others asking questions about whether worker safety was being compromised to get the project done by August.
Jakarta Vice Governor Sandiaga Uno assured the media that, despite the accident, construction was still set to be completed before the games. But he said that worker safety was still important.
“We do not want to overlook worker safety rules, either intentionally or unintentionally, to speed up construction. Therefore we also remind workers to not overwork themselves into exhaustion just to meet your target. We ask that they always remain alert and work carefully,” Sandiaga said as quoted by Detik.
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan also said in December that the first-phase of the LRT would be ready to go in time for the Asian Games. However, around the same time Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said he didn’t think it was possible after inspecting the construction work completed so far.
