Malang (malangkota.go.id) – President Joko Widodo together with the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing of the Republic of Indonesia Dr. Ir. Mochamad Basoeki Hadimoeljono, M.Sc, Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Rini Soemarno, Minister of Transportation of the Republic of Indonesia Budi Karya Sumadi, Minister of State Secretary (Mensesneg) Pratikno, Governor of East Java Khofifah Indar Parawansa, Mayor of Malang Drs. H. Sutiaji, and Acting Regent of Malang Sanusi pressed the siren bell to signal the operation of three sections of the Pandaan-Malang toll road, East Java. The inauguration of the Mapan Toll Road took place at the Singosari Toll Gate, Malang Regency, Monday (13/5/2019).
"Hopefully this toll road can accelerate the mobility of goods, services and people so that we hope that Malang Raya will truly become a tourist area connected to this toll road. We also hope that economic growth will be better and increase," President Jokowi hoped during the inauguration.
According to him, Malang City as a city of tourism and education will be helped by the presence of this toll road. The President said that this toll road will accelerate the growth of Malang City and its surroundings. This toll road is very helpful for the development of tourism and education in Malang Raya.
After the inauguration, the toll road will begin operating as well as to support this year's Eid homecoming activities. President Joko Widodo requested that the public who have long been waiting for this toll road can use it for free until the Eid homecoming.
"Earlier I whispered to the toll road owner, Minister of SOEs, don't pay until Eid. Make it free until Eid. It has been answered that it can be done, Sir. Why is it the President who asked? no given," said President Jokowi.
The three toll road sections inaugurated by the President stretch 30,625 kilometers connecting Pandaan to Singosari with details of section 1 spanning 15,475 kilometers connecting Pandaan with Purwodadi, section 2 spanning 8,050 kilometers connecting Purwodadi with Lawang, and section 3 spanning 7,100 kilometers connecting Lawang with Singosari.
Currently, the relevant ministries and contractors are still working on the construction of sections 4 and 5 of the toll road. Later, the Singosari section will be connected to Pakis and Malang along 7,863 kilometers. If connected from Pandaan to Malang, the fifth section of the toll road will be 38,488 kilometers long.
"It is still a little short, 7,8 kilometers short. But I have already pursued it so that it can be completed by the end of the year. Thank God it can progress," the President emphasized.
For information, the trip from Pandaan to Singosari before the operation of this toll road took 45 minutes to 60 minutes under normal conditions. The presence of this toll road with an investment cost of Rp5,97 trillion is able to cut the travel time to only 20 to 30 minutes. (Deputy for Protocol, Press, and Media of the Presidential Secretariat/Bey Machmudin/EM/yon)
