Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train is in the spotlight after the project is planned to receive funding from the state financial treasury. In fact, the project was previously built with a business to business (B to B) scheme.
This project is also the concern of Senior Economics Faisal Basri. According to him, the high-speed train is a substitute for air transportation.
He gave an example, the fast train would be an option for traveling from Jakarta to Surabaya instead of using a plane. This is because fast trains are more efficient than planes which require a lot of time from traveling to the airport, checking goods, checking in, to boarding.
Therefore, he said, fast trains were not needed for trips from Jakarta to Bandung.
“This Jakarta-Bandung fast train, right, goes against common sense. So it’s just common sense. Because the fast train is a substitute for airplanes,” he explained to CNBC Indonesia, Tuesday (12/28/2021).
In addition, people from Jakarta who go to Bandung relatively to travel and prefer to use private vehicles.
“Besides, I took the high-speed train and couldn’t stop in the middle of Bandung. I had to stop at Padalarang, get off the train and take another train. Where is there a ridiculous project in this world. As a result, costs have swelled, so this is a loss project, I say, until doomsday. ” he said.
This means, he continued, the project will not return on investment. Meanwhile, the project also has a limited economic effect because in general, high-speed trains are used as a means of transportation for business trips.
“If you build infrastructure you must be careful, planning must be careful, so that this project becomes a priority to solve basic problems. For the fast train there is no priority. In the end, people’s funds were forced to enter to cover the hole. Even though this is not a project for the public interest,” he said. Faisal.
He also emphasized that infrastructure projects require large funds. So, once the project is running, it will be difficult to stop.
“Therefore, it must be a lesson in the future, and this project must be studied whether there is a conspiracy or not,” he asserted.
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