State-owned toll road operator PT Jasa Marga targets to operate nearly 1,000 kilometers of toll roads this year from the current 787 km that is in operation, said the company’s president director, Desi Aryani, on Thursday.

“We plan to operate the remaining toll roads of about 205 km by the end of this year. This year, transJava toll roads will be in full operation,” Desi said as quoted by kontan.co.id.

She explained that the company was in the process of completing four transJava toll road sections -- Batang-Semarang, Salatiga-Kartasura, Wilangan-Kertosono and Gempol-Pasuruan

Jasa Marga is seeking to operate the transJava toll roads, arguing that such a scheme would be more effective as the company owned 65 percent of transJava toll roads, she said, adding that the company would establish a new firm, PT Jasa Marga Trans Jawa All Road.

Currently, there are 20 Indonesia Toll Road Authorities (BPJT) operating transJava toll roads, 13 of which are owned by Jasa Marga, while the remaining BPJTs are owned, among others, by state-owned construction company Waskita Karya and the Astra Group.

Desi said her company would soon apply for the operatorship of transJava toll roads at the Public Works and Housing Ministry and was seeking a model for its operation. (bbn)