Palembang - Directorate of Railways at the Ministry of Transportation ensures the Light Rail Transit (LRT) operation in Palembang will be completed sooner by the end of February 2018 and is planned to be piloted in March 2018. But this is still waiting for the certainty of PT Kereta Api Indonesia as a provider of the LRT train fleet.

Director General of Railways at Kemenhub, Zulfikri said that the completion of the Palembang LRT project has entered the final stage. He also said that LRT Zone 5, Jakabaring is ready for trial.

"Zone 5, Jakabaring ready. Test it between the end of March or early April, because the new train came at the time, "said Zulfikri.

In addition to the development progress, Zulfikri and the team at the Directorate General of Railways at the Ministry of Transportation are still reviewing the considerations for the Palembang LRT pioneering tariff which is the first mass transportation mode operating in Indonesia today.

"If the pioneer is all we will finance since starting to operate for a year. The tariff will also later the government will determine, because if for pioneering the whole is indeed financed by the state budget (approximately USD 129 billion), "said Zulfikri.

Related to the tariff, Zulfikri still can not be sure how much the amount is due to still in review stage. But the possibility of the tariff will be around Rp 5,000, - according to the purchasing power of the community.

"For the tariff we have not decided yet, but the results of the studies are around Rp 5.000, - but when it starts operating in June we have started to give pioneer subsidies until December. For the next what we will still discuss together, because the tariff itself will be adjusted to the reach of the community, "added Zulfikri.

Currently the progress of the work of LRT Palembang has entered 86.32%, with the record all the lines are connected. The construction of the station as well as the road improvements as a result of the construction of the LRT is also a further work.

"There are 13 stations and must be parallel worked on. The station is typically the same. Secondly, the road repair is our responsibility, now it is being done, we are using DGH standards, "said Suranto as the LRT Infrastructure Development Committee of South Sumatra.

The 13 stations, such as Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Station, Haji Asrama Station, Telkom Station, RSUD Station, Polda Station, Station Demang Lebar Daun, Palembang Icon Station, Great Station / Kominfo, Cinde Market Station, Ampera Bridge Station, Polresta Station , Jakabaring Stadium Station, and OPI Station.

Related investments in this project, Suranto claimed there was an additional investment from the initial investment of Rp 10.9 trillion. But the amount is certainly not up to 10%. Additional investment due to new jobs that were not previously included in the contract, but now included in the contract work, such as the construction of Depo.

"Any development there must be additional costs, but we are working as efficiently as possible," added Suranto.

He also explained that LRT South Sumatra uses more sophisticated technology than other city's railway system, including Minimum Service Standard (SPM) with complete facilities.