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Now that the Jakarta government has allocated funds for acquiring new land on which to build a new arena to replace the Lebak Bulus stadium, the process for building the long awaited Mass Rapid Transit system has begun in earnest.

It has been many decades of waiting for Jakarta residents for the MRT, but progress is now palpable. The Jakarta administration has earmarked Rp 99 billion ($11 million) for a new stadium with world-class facilities to replace the aging Lebak Bulus stadium.

The current site of the Lebak Bulus stadium will be converted into a depot and a main station for the MRT line which will run from South Jakarta to Kota in the north. Given the worsening traffic in the capital, an MRT system is urgently needed and will go a long way not only in alleviating the increasingly heavy burden of the city’s traffic but also in elevating Jakarta as a major metropolis.

The capital of most of Indonesia’s neighbors in the region already have much more developed urban public transportation systems, and it is high time that Jakarta develops one as well.

Costing billions of dollars of public funds, the MRT must be constructed with full transparency to ensure there is no abuse or misuse of those funds. The local government would do well to follow in the footsteps of New Delhi, where the train system was built on time and under budget.

It is reassuring that PT MRT Jakarta, the company tasked with building the MRT system, will involve the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the State Procurement Policy Institute (LKPP) in the tender and awarding process.

By working with institutions such as the KPK and LKPP, PT MRT Jakarta can assure the public that it will conduct business above board and with full transparency. This is critical and can serve as a model for other public facilities. Gaining public trust is a vital component of the city’s and the country’s infrastructure development push.

We urge the local government to make sure that this vital infrastructure does not face any more roadblocks. There should be no more excuses as the necessary funds are available and the Land Acquisition Bill has been passed into law.