Jakarta. Saudi Arabia is seeking to invest in a cable car project that could address the traffic congestion at the mountain pass and popular tourist destination Puncak in Bogor, according to Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno.

“From what we can tell based on our visit to Saudi Arabia, investors are interested in Puncak’s cable car project,” Sandiaga told reporters at a year-end press conference in Jakarta.

“So there is a huge interest among investors. Because many people spend their holidays in Puncak, we will continue to promote this cable car project, not just in Bogor, but hopefully other tourist destinations as well,” Sandiaga said.

The Greater Jakarta Transportation Agency (BPTJ) has conducted a preliminary study on what sort of infrastructure could ease Puncak’s congestion. They suggested building a rail-based mass transport that encompasses an automated guideway transit (AGT) train and cable car system. 

It would take Rp 6.32 trillion ($403.5 million) to build the AGT alone, and almost Rp 1 trillion for the cable car system, thus totaling around Rp 7.31 trillion in costs, BPTJ’s estimates showed.

“The traffic congestion in Puncak is severe. BPTJ has done a preliminary study and we would need about Rp 7.3 trillion [to build the necessary infrastructure]. But the Bogor Government is still reviewing the budget,” Sandiaga said.

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Sandiaga not long ago met with his Saudi counterpart Ahmed Al Khateeb at the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) conference in Riyadh. Both countries inked a deal on strengthening tourism partnership. The ministers discussed the possibility of Saudi Arabia investing in Puncak’s cable car project. 

Sandiaga’s recent in-person meeting with Mustafa Ibrahim bin Al Mubarak  — the former ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Indonesia and also the uncle to Al-Fozan Holding's chief executive officer— could also mean progress for the plan.

“If God is willing], the investment will come, one of them is for the cable car project in Puncak, Bogor. This not only will become an additional tourist attraction, but can also ease the traffic jam,” Sandiaga wrote on his Twitter account earlier this month, commenting on his meeting with Mustafa.

Al-Fozan Holding is a Saudi conglomerate with an investment portfolio in a multitude of industries, including retail and manufacturing.

According to the BPTJ study, the recommended rail transport in Puncak would span 27.88 kilometers. It would also be split into two segments — the first is a 23.4-km AGT track that would go from Sentul City to Taman Safari. The second segment would encompass a 4.48-kilometer cable car network that connects Taman Safari with the Puncak area. The cable car will serve tourists who are already in the Puncak area and would like to travel around the mountain pass. 

BPTJ suggested that a public-private partnership would be the most feasible way of funding this project.