How University Contribute to City Development: Universitas Sriwijaya Involvement in LRT Salient Research
Palembang, (DN),– Palembang as the capital city of South Sumatera is the 7th biggest and populous city in Indonesia with its rapid urban development. One of the main projects in Palembang is the development of Light Rail Transit (LRT) as the mass transportation vehicle. The LRT has been operated since August 1, 2018, with the route started from Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport station until Jakabaring Sport City station.
The researchers from Universitas Sriwijaya (UNSRI) which also the member of Center for Collaborative Research – National Center for Sustainable Transportation Technology (CCR–NCSTT) has been involved in almost every aspect of research and development regarding LRT project. The research team is led by Dr. Eng. Joni Arliansyah and divided into four research clusters: RESS Battery Characterization and Technology development, Transit Oriented Development (TOD), and Transportation Safety. This research is supported by USAID under Sustainable Higher Education and Research Alliance (SHERA) program.
Feeder Scenario and TOD Area Development of Palembang
In order to succeed in the operation of LRT Palembang, the passenger access toward the LRT station using transportation on feeder route needs to be effectively designed. This research is currently conducted by Dr. Eng. Joni Arliansyah from the Infrastructure research cluster in CCR–NCSTT. This research aims to provide the input regarding the importance of feeder scenario to support the operation of LRT Palembang. This input is scheduled to be submitted to the stakeholder. Dr. Eng. Joni Arliansyah stated that there are three new feeder routes to make the access to the LRT station more reachable. The infrastructure component which will be developed consist of park and ride, pedestrian, and kiss-ride facilities.
The research on feeder scenario is inseparable from the role of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) as another reference as regards to urban area development around the transit stops. Dr. Betty Susanti, lecturer of Civil Engineering in UNSRI as one of the researchers on this field stated that the demand for collaboration on this research is considerably high. UNSRI is currently initiating the collaboration to the stakeholder such as government and related industries.
Surge Protection for LRT: Breakthrough Research
Another important aspect of LRT development is the safety, and the protection from lightning and surge are the part of it. The lightning and surge will cause technical damage to the LRT which leads to signal failure, accident and economic loss. Muhammad Abu Bakar Sidik, Ph.D., the researcher from UNSRI who currently studying this topic stated that the surge protection system for Palembang LRT still needs to be improved, this has been discovered from his literature study and site visit. Based on the aforementioned background, Muhammad Abu Bakar Sidik, Ph.D. initiate the premier research which aims to identify the magnitude of surge voltage when the lightning strikes the LRT, and also to compose the protection strategy.
The research for LRT Palembang on feeder scenario, TOD, and safety will be continuously conducted and will keep expanding. The research team from UNSRI which also the member of CCR–NCSTT will keep giving their best contribution for the better mass transportation system in Palembang.***