Jokowi Cancels Sunda Strait Bridge Project

Jakarta Globe, Nov 04, 2014

Hundreds of motorists wait to board ferries at Merak Port in Banten on the western tip
 of Java to cross to Lampung in Sumatra. The government has halted an ambitious plan to
build a bridge that would have addressed the crowding at the port. (AFP Photo)

Jakarta. The administration of President Joko Widodo will not pursue an ambitious plan to build a bridge between the islands of Java and Sumatra, senior officials have said.

“Joko has reviewed the project [and] I’m sure that the project is not an option for at least the next 10 to 15 years,” Andrinof Chaniago, the minister for national development planning, said as quoted by Kompas.com.

He said Joko preferred instead to focus on improving boat services between the country’s two most populated islands, as part of his wider effort to leverage Indonesia’s maritime potential.

“We’ll opt for improvements in [the existing] sea transportation. We want comfortable ships, more docks if needed. When we’re done with those, then we can go ahead with the Sunda Strait bridge project,” Andrinof said.

Plans to build a bridge have been mooted since the 1960s, but it wasn’t until the administration of Joko’s predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, that the idea got more serious attention.

A pre-feasibility study was kicked off in October 2007, and in January 2010 Yudhoyono issued a regulation on the formation of technical teams for the development. The whole project was expected to take eight to 10 years to complete, at an estimated cost of at least $10 billion.

However, chief economics minister Sofyan Djalil denied that the Yudhoyono administration had any expectation of starting the project this year.

“There was never any fixed decision on the Sunda Strait bridge,” he said on Monday as quoted by Detik.com. “There were problems about the money and the local governments involved. Even when Yudhoyono’s term was up there was no decision on this. It remained an idea. Now, it’s not in line with [Joko’s] maritime concept, so that’s the problem.”

Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said separately on Monday that the cancellation was prudent, given that the bridge would serve only the economic development of Java and Sumatra, and not that of the less-developed regions in the country’s east.

The scrapping of the project is not without its critics, though. Marwan Cik Asan, a legislator from Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party, questioned the lack of an open discussion leading up to the decision.

“There are no good reason behind the scrapping,” he said as quoted by Antara. “The people have been waiting for this project. Citing the maritime aspect and development inequality as reasons [for not continuing] isn’t good enough.”

China takes over Pakistan port from Singapore

Google - AFP, Nasir Jaffry (AFP), 18 February 2013 

Boats are moored at Gwadar port in the Arabian Sea on February 12, 2013

(AFP/File, Behram Baloch)

ISLAMABAD — China took control Monday of a strategic Pakistani port on the Arabian Sea, as part of a drive to secure energy and maritime routes that also gives it a potential naval base, sparking Indian concern.

The Pakistani cabinet approved the transfer of Gwadar, currently a commercial failure cut off from the national road network, from Singapore's PSA International to the state-owned China company on January 30.

It had not been clear when the actual handover would take place, but Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari presided over the signing of a memorandum of understanding on Monday that was broadcast live by local television.

"The contract of operation of Gwadar port is formally given to China. Today, the agreement is transferred from the Port of Singapore Authority to China Overseas Ports Holding Company Limited," Zardari announced.

"The award of this contract opens new opportunities for our people... It gives new impetus to Pakistan-China relations."

The Pakistanis pitched the deal as offering an energy and trade corridor that would connect China to the Arabian Sea and Strait of Hormuz, a gateway for a third of the world's traded oil, overland through an expanded Karakoram Highway.

Experts say it would cut thousands of kilometres off the distance which oil and gas imports from Africa and the Middle East have to travel to reach China.

"Gwadar port will enhance trade and commerce not only between Pakistan and China but also in the region," said Zardari.

China paid about 75 percent of the initial $250 million used to build the port but in 2007 PSA International won a 40-year operating lease.

This photograph taken on February 12, 2013 shows the construction site at

Gwadar port in the Arabian Sea (AFP, Behram Baloch)

Then-ruler Pervez Musharraf was reportedly unwilling to upset Washington by giving control of the port to the Chinese.

On February 6 Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony said New Delhi was concerned by Pakistan's decision to transfer management of the deep-sea port to China, which has interests in a string of other ports encircling India.

Pakistan foreign ministry spokesman Moazzam Ahmad Khan dismissed those concerns last week, telling reporters: "This is not something that any other country should have any reason to be concerned about."

Gwadar is part of the southwestern province of Baluchistan, the most deprived part of Pakistan despite being rich in oil and gas deposits. The province is gripped by a separatist insurgency and record levels of sectarian violence.

On Saturday, a bomb killed 89 people in a Hazara Shiite Muslim neighbourhood of the provincial capital Quetta, barely a month after twin suicide bombers killed 92 people at a Hazara snooker hall elsewhere in the city.

Zardari said the building of infrastructure around the port will also promote economic activity in Gwadar and Baluchistan.

But some analysts warn that it may be some time before Pakistan can benefit from China's takeover of Gwadar, stressing that the connecting roads and an expanded Karakoram Highway still need to be finished.

They also suggest that security concerns have made China more cautious about big investment projects in Pakistan.

In 2004, three Chinese engineers helping to build Gwadar were killed in a car bombing. The same year, two Chinese engineers working on a hydroelectric dam project in South Waziristan were kidnapped and one of them died.

Gwadar is the most westerly in a string of Chinese-funded ports in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and potentially Bangladesh that encircle its big rival, India.

The ports were dubbed China's "string of pearls" -- or potential naval bases similar to those of the United States -- but some analysts pour cold water on suggestions that Beijing is scouting for naval bases in the Indian Ocean.

Andrew Small, an expert on China-Pakistan relations, believes that most of Beijing's concerns can be resolved through cooperation, but that Gwadar is the most likely port to be developed by China for naval use.

"Pakistan is probably the only government where the level of trust between the two militaries is high enough to make that a completely reliable prospect," he told AFP recently.

Scrap Steel Smuggling Attempt Foiled

Jakarta Globe, Ismira Lutfia, January 28, 2012

The customs office foiled the attempted smuggling of 28,200 kilograms
of scrap steel allegedly contaminated by hazardous waste at the Tanjung
Priok Port on Saturday in Jakarta. (Antara Photo/Ujang Zaelani)

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The customs office foiled the attempted smuggling of many containers of scrap steel, each weighing 28,200 kilograms, allegedly contaminated by hazardous waste classified as B3 at the Tanjung Priok Port on Saturday, an official said.

The scrap metal was shipped from England and the Netherlands on false documents, said Environment Minister Balthasar Kambuaya who was inspecting the containers at Tanjung Priok together with Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo.

“The examination found that the contents didn’t match with the import documents,” Balthasar said.

The smuggled steel came in five shipments between late December and January with 89 containers coming from England and 24 coming from the Netherlands.

Some of the containers released unpleasant smells when customs officials unlocked the doors.

Agus said the importer was identified by the initials of PT HHS, a multinational company in the scrap metal business.

“We honor the presumption of innocence principle, but if proven guilty, [the company owner] could face between five and 15 years in jail,” Agus said.

The import documents specified that the containers contained non-hazardous scrap metal.

“It turned out the steels were dug off from the final resting place and directly loaded into containers. They should have been cleaned first,” said director general of customs and excise Agung Kuswandono. “We already consulted with the Ministry of Environment to ensure that the contents are classified as B3.”

In addition to the customs offense, the importer could also be charged under the environment law, the ministers said.

Related Article:

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Dumai customs seize Malaysian ship carrying illegal goods

Antara News, Thursday, September 30, 2010 15:48 WIB

Dumai, Riau province (ANTARA News) - Dumai customs officers have seized a Malaysian ship, KM Rfaida Indah carrying hundreds of sacks of used tires and clothing, an officer said here on Thursday.

The ship was caught on Wednesday (Sept 29) afternoon in the Sungai Kemeli area, Dumai.

"After being checked, the ship proved to contain second-hand tires and clothing products from Malaysia," said the officer adding that the ship was impounded after the captain failed to show official documents related to the products he carried in the ship.

"We took the ship to Pokala harbor for further further legal processing," he said.

Freighters take sail in Friesland

RNW, 24 July 2010 - 7:49pm

skûtsjes in competition (Photo: LC)

The annual skûtsje competition has started on the lakes of Friesland, a province in the northern Netherlands.

A skûtsje is a flat-bottomed sailing boat built for transporting freight in the shallow inland waters of the Netherlands. In use throughout the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, they were rendered obsolete by the arrival of road transport. Despite this, such sailing competitions have never gone out of fashion and, in the last few years, have become increasingly popular among the public.

Weather permitting, the Friesland competition will last 14 days. During this time, 14 skûtsjes will take part in 11 stages. More than 150,000 spectators are expected to watch from the lakes’ shores.

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Pertamina to Build Gas Station for Fishermen

Tempo Interactive, Wednesday, 17 February, 2010 | 15:50 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:This year, state-run oil company Pertamina will build 400 Solar Packed for Fishermen (SPDN) or gas stations in regencies and fish production centers. The policy was to address the low number of SPDNs, especially in remote islands.

“Next week we will have a meeting with the relevant offices for an overall decision. Pertamina will be in charge of the implementation,” said Maritime and Fishery Minister Fadel Muhammad, following a meeting with Pertamina directors in Jakarta, yesterday.

Fadel said the construction will be based on a new concept, namely the minapolitan concept, which applies to a large fish producing area needing a larger fuel supply. “The large fish producing area is called minapolitan,” Fadel said.

That is why there is no standard on how much allocation fuel would be supplied to one SPDN because there is a different quota for each SPDN. Fadel said fishermen are asked to unload their catches at a specified area.

The amount of their catch will determine the fuel quota. “In this way, people can longer need to buy and sell in the sea,” he said. “So far, when they go home with empty catch, the fuel is empty, too. There is something wrong with this.”

RATNANING ASIH

Save tourism in Thousand Islands: Workshop

Indah Setiawati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 01/19/2010 7:50 PM

Sepa Island (one of the Thousand Islands)

Resort operators on Thousand Islands have complained of a sharp decline in the number guests, which they say is a result of poor accessibility and marketing.

Jhonny Lapian of PT Buana Bintang Samudra, the management of Putri Island resort, told a workshop Tuesday business was lackluster following the tsunami disaster that ravaged Aceh in December 2004.

“After the tsunami, our revenue declined. Now we no longer profit from the business. The major problem is transportation,” he said.

He added the resort only provided a speedboat during weekends. Transporting guests by speedboat on weekdays, which are usually quiet, costs the company too much, he said. The boat needs at least 30 passengers to cover transport costs.

Haznil Maulana of PT Pantara Wisata Jaya, the management of Pantara Island resort, said the company now operated East Pantara Island only and ceased the operation of West Pantara Island.

“We stopped operating West Pantara Island because we cannot afford the operational costs,” he said.

Sahat sitorus, the Tourism subagency head of Thousand Islands, said there were 11 resorts operating in the archipelagic regency but six of them closed when the Asian financial crisis struck in the late 1990s.

He acknowledged that transport had hindered the development of marine tourism in the regency, consisting of resorts and residential islands.

“Tourists need convenient, fast boats. The wooden boats currently available in Muara Angke are not convenient, fast or safe,” he said.

Data from the Thousand Islands tourism subagency recorded 141,000 tourists last year, 3,316 were foreigners from Europe and Asia. The number stood at 130,000 in 2008.

High Waves and Strong Winds Halt Sea Transportation In Aceh

The Jakarta Globe

High waves and heavy winds in the Mallaca Strait and Indian Ocean near Aceh province have seen four ships refused permission to sail.

Teuku Ridha, the head of Banda Aceh’s River, Lake and Ferry Transportation Department (ASDP) Teuku Ridha said on Wednesday that waves were between two and three meters high and wind speed has been between 6 to 10 knots per hour.

In order to prevent a sea accident, the ASDP decided to stop sea transportation until the weather returns to normal.

“The weather is unfriendly at the moment. We are making this decision for safety reasons,” Teuku Ridha told Metro TV.

He asked people affected by the delays to be patient. Fishermen were also told to be extra cautious in the bad weather.

An Aceh maritime official, M Adli Abdullah, encouraged fishermen to delay going to sea because of the extreme conditions.

“During the bad weather, don’t force going fishing,” Adli said.

JG

JICT, IFC signs $70m loan agreement

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 12/10/2009 8:26 pm

The Jakarta International Container Terminal (JICT) has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), an investing arm of the World Bank Group, on a US$70 million loan.

The soft loan, which will partially fund a $160 million expansion plan at the Tanjung Priok Port, comprises a $30 million loan for IFC’s own account and a syndicated loan from HSBC of up to $40 million. JICT is funding the remaining $90 million of the expansion project out of its internal cash flow.

“The JICT has consistently attempted to increase efficiency and expand our capacity … Serving as Indonesia’s main gateway for the country’s trade, the JICT must be prepared to face the expected increase in Indonesia’s exports,” JICT finance director Nano Aryono said after the signing on Thursday.

The company’s expansion started in 2008 and is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2013. The expansion includes an additional 32 hectares of yard area, 22 additional cranes and other equipment. The JICT will also build parking areas and roads to integrate with the Jakarta Outer Ring Road, which is now under construction.

By the completion of the expansion project, JICT’s storage will increase from the current 2 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) to 3 million TEUs per annum. (adh)

One Reported Dead as Ferry Sinks off Indonesia's Sumatra Island; Rescue Underway

The Jakarta Globe

Ferry accidents are common in Indonesian waters. The 'Senopati Nusantara', above, sank off the coast of Java in late 2006 with some 500 people aboard. (Photo: EPA)

A ferry carrying 213 has sunk in rough seas near Indonesia's Riau islands, killing at least one person, police said.

Search teams are looking for survivors from the Dumai Express 10 which was sailing from Batam near Singapore to Dumai island in Riau when it ran into massive waves, Riau police chief Puji Hartanto told Metro TV.

The victim was a small child, according to kompas.com.

Survivors were spotted floating at sea, Hartanto said.

Separately, another ferry, the Dumai Express 15 with 278 people on board, ran aground after it was hit by large waves, said Riau police spokesman Yasin Kosasih.

All passengers and crew survived, he added. The ferry was travelling between Batam and Moro island.

Indonesia relies heavily on ferry services to connect the many islands in the sprawling archipelago, but accidents are common, largely due to years of under-investment in infrastructure and a tendency to overload ferries.

Reuters JG

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Indonesia Confiscates Explosives at Sea

The Jakarta Globe

Indonesian special forces soldiers demonstrate anti-terror skills last month in Denpasar, Bali. Seventeen crewmen from a seized boat carrying explosive materials are being questioned for possible links to terrorism, authorities said. (Photo: Made Nagi, EPA)

Officials say they have confiscated 75 tons of an explosive material being shipped from Malaysia to Indonesia and are investigating possible links to terrorism.

Customs official Nasar Salim says the ammonium nitrate was found on a ship captured in the South China Sea. Ammonium nitrate can also be used as fertilizer, but Salim says 95 percent of the material imported into Indonesia is used in explosive devices.

He says possible links to terrorists are being investigated.

Salim said Friday that 17 crewmen are being questioned while police search for the shipment's owner.

Indonesia has been ravaged by terrorist attacks in recent years that killed more than 250 people. Bombings at two Jakarta hotels in July killed seven people and wounded more than 50.

AP

Sailing to my islands

The Jakarta Post | Mon, 11/16/2009 12:18 PM

A Phinisi boat (right) with a 24-member expedition team is officially dispatched from the Losari beach in Makassar, South Sulawesi on Sunday to carry out a geographic and population survey on 28 outer islands in eastern Indonesia. The expedition will last for four months and cover a sailing distance of about 8,000 kilometers. JP/Andi Hajramurni

Dutch maritime companies merge after all

NRC International, 12 November 2009 16:50

Dutch salvage company Smit International has given up its opposition to a take over by the Dutch-based international dredging company Boskalis, the companies announced Thursday.

The dredging company (10,200 employees, turnover 2.2 billion euros) is taking over Smit International based (3,600 employees, turnover 708 million euros) in a 1.35 billion euro deal. The takeover should not cost any jobs.

At the end of last year, Boskalis tried to take over a division of Smit which provides harbour services for oil and gas terminals, but was met by strong opposition. Subsequent attempts to incorporate the whole of the Smit company also failed.

Boskalis CEO Peter Berdowski said Thursday there is no longer any question of breaking up Smit. All its activities will be continued. Ben Vree, current CEO of Smit will join the supervisory board of the merged company.

The merger creates a “Dutch maritime player of global stature,” said Berdowski. “The development of our profit margins brought the two companies together." Both companies have been hit by the economic crisis. Smit had already stopped taking on more staff and Boskalis lost projects worth 450 million euros, including the building of a port in Dubai.

“By investing less in dredging and more in salvage Boskalis wants to improve profits,” said Berdowski. He called Smit’s towing services a “pearl of growth”, as it has done relatively well in spite of the downturn in transhipment in the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp.

In the last three weeks, merger negotiations speeded up when it became apparent that Boskalis was prepared to not break up Smit after the take over. Berdowski: “We looked deep into each others eyes. Both Ben Vree and myself changed our tunes and decided we could create more synergy together.”

"Queen of The Netherlands"

Major Indonesian Seaports Now Open Around the Clock

The Jakarta Globe, Putri Prameshwari

Jakarta's Tanjung Priok and three other ports around the country will now operate 24 hours a day. (Photo: Antara)

Four major domestic seaports will now be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week as part of a government plan to increase trade, Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi said on Wednesday.

“This is to boost our export and import activities,” he said.

The four ports are Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta, Belawan in Medan, North Sumatra, Tanjung Perak in Surabaya, East Java and Soekarno-Hatta in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

The move comes after the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) and other business organizations called for working hours to be extended at the country’s ports earlier this month.

Operations at the four ports would be open not only for ship docking but also for customs and immigration activities, Freddy said. “This way, if a cargo ship arrives at 2 a.m., it can immediately be served,” he said, adding that it could also avoid vessels from docking for too long as a result of delays.

Freddy said he hoped service would be improved if ports were open for 24 hours.

Sunaryo, director general of maritime transportation at the Transportation Ministry, said the infrastructure to open the seaports around the clock was adequate.

“All we have to do is coordinate with customs,” he said.

The hardest part would be to provide 24-hour manpower to load and unload vessels, Sunaryo said. “That should be synchronized with the Manpower Ministry,” he said.

On the other hand, Sunaryo said, the Transportation Ministry’s initiative could create more jobs, especially for people living near the ports.

The plan is currently in a test phase and would be officially implemented next January, Freddy said.

Richard J Lino, chairman of state-owned port operator PT Pelindo II, said it would take a long time to get all relevant agencies, including customs, immigration, and quarantine services, to coordinate their work activities at the seaports.

“They need time to adjust,” he said.

The government also wants to establish an international-standard port in Indonesia to function as hub port for the wider region.

PT Pelindo II has been pushing for Tanjung Priok to be that port. Lino said he hoped Tanjung Priok would be ready to operate as an international hub port by 2014.

Renovating the port, he said, would take five years and cost up to Rp 7 trillion ($749 million).

An archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia relies heavily on sea transportation. Millions of people and tons of cargo are delivered every day using big vessels and small ships.

Pelindo II manages ports across Indonesia, including in Banten, Palembang in South Sumatra as well as Teluk Bayur seaport in West Sumatra, and Sunda Kelapa port in North Jakarta.

Pelindo puts in place Priok overhaul plan

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 11/03/2009 9:29 AM

A load off my mind: Loading and unloading activities at Tanjung Priok port in Jakarta. State port operator PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo) II plans to develop Tanjung Priok port into an international hub port with docks 18 meters deep, starting next year. JP/R. Berto Wedhatama

State port operator PT Pelindo II is embarking on a five-year overhaul of Tanjung Priok port to challenge the dominance of Singapore as a regional trade hub, in a process that requires Rp 6 trillion in fresh investment.

“[So far] ships opt to do transshipment in Singapore rather than in Tanjung Priok. Starting next year, we will improve this port, so that we can provide better services and supporting infrastructure for [big] ships,” Pelindo president director Richard J. Lino said on the sidelines of seminar projecting Jakarta as Indonesia’s hub port.

According to Richard, one of the improvements needed is to create a more efficient port administration which will be easier to access.

“We have discussed with the Customs and Excise Office about cutting the document process down to a half day,” he said, adding that currently it needed seven days to process documents in Tanjung Priok, in contrast to one day in Singapore.

According to Richard, due to the limited infrastructure for big ships and the bureaucratic culture, only 40 percent of total loads aimed for export transited via Tanjung Priok, while the rest did their transshipment in Singapore.

In 2008, about 18,000 ships were transiting in Tanjung Priok, carrying 62 million tons of cargo that included 4 million TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units) of containers.

“Hopefully, the hub port, which will be officially in place in 2014, will boost the volume of containers going through Tanjung Priok up to 8 million TEUs from 4 million in 2009,” he said.

He said that besides administration reform, there were other things that needed to be improved at the congested Tanjung Priok to reach the level of a professional hub port.

“We will re-design the port to a depth of 18 meters and some 14 meter-docks for big ships carrying more that 5,000 TEUs of containers,” Richard said.

To facilitate the plan Pelindo will carry out land reclamation from the sea so as to widen the port’s handling capacity, according to Richard.

“We need 300 hectares of additional land. We also need 6 hectares more of parking lots in the port,” he said, adding that the new parking lot would be the biggest in the country.

Currently Tanjung Priok covers 604 hectares of land.

The Transportation Ministry’s director general of sea transportation Sunaryo said that it was not easy to create a hub port because it had to fulfill many criteria.

“The port should be near the international sea lanes and with a minimum depth of 14 meters.

“However, Tanjung Priok is only 11 meters depth. It needs some dredging to make the sea deeper,” Sunaryo said.

He said that the shallowness of the port had caused the port to face difficulties in accommodating ships of more than 200,000 tons .

Pelindo has estimated that the overhaul of Tanjung Priok will require at least Rp 6 trillion (US$610 million).

“We are still trying to get investors,” Richard said.

Pelindo II manages ports in 12 areas across the country including Sunda Kelapa in Jakarta, Banten, Palembang in South Sumatra and Teluk Bayur in West Sumatra.

In the third quarter of this year, the company booked Rp 1.8 trillion in revenue from Rp 2.3 trillion targeted this year.

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Indonesia to use Rotterdam Port as example

Major Port a New Priority for Indonesia

The Jakarta Globe

The Ministry of Transportation on Monday admitted its efforts to develop a much-needed international-standard port were progressing slowly.

Sunaryo, director general of maritime transportation at the ministry, said formulating a blueprint for an international-quality seaport was one of Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi’s priorities for his first 100 days in office, although none of the country’s seaports had yet shown the potential to become a regional hub for cargo vessels.

“We are trying to determine which port can be turned into an international hub,” Sunaryo said after opening a two-day seminar entitled “Jakarta as Indonesia’s Hub Port.” The seminar was organized by state-owned seaport operator PT Pelindo II in Jakarta.

“We still haven’t figured out where we should build it,” he said.

Pelindo II is pushing for Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta, which it says can be expanded into an international hub with renovations that would cost upwards of Rp 7 trillion ($735 million).

Currently, cargo shipments to Indonesia must stop in either Singapore or Malaysia before being delivered using smaller feeder vessels.

Although Sunaryo hinted that it was most likely the international hub would be developed in Jakarta or Batam, existing ports did not meet the requirements for a variety of reasons, including the fact the water was not deep enough for big ships to dock.

“The depth of sea water at Tanjung Priok, for example, is only 11 meters,” he said. “It can only handle cargo ships of less than 60,000 tons.”

Pelindo II president director R J Lino said that with renovations, Tanjung Priok could be ready to operate as an international hub by 2014.

“Tanjung Priok has one of the most strategic locations within the Asia-Pacific region,” he said.

However, Sunaryo said the Tanjung Priok port’s location was also a problem because getting feeder transport in and out of the port area was difficult.

“It’s useless having a huge port if there is no easy access,” he said.

He said that if there was no integrated mass transportation service, the volume of cargo being delivered by trucks would significantly worsen the already poor traffic conditions in the capital.