JAKARTA (Reuters) -&nbsp;Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday launched the first elevated rail line for Greater Jakarta, hailing the $2.13 billion project as a step towards easing the&nbsp;capital's chronic road congestion&nbsp;and&nbsp;worsening air&nbsp;pollution.
The driverless, 41.2 km (25.6 miles) Light Rail Transit (LRT) system connects central Jakarta&nbsp;and&nbsp;its satellites cities in West Java, Bekasi&nbsp;and&nbsp;Depok.
People in Greater Jakarta commonly use a 418 km (260 mile) Commuter Line which serve around 1.2 million passengers per day.
Jakarta has been ranked among the world's most polluted cities since May&nbsp;and&nbsp;earlier this month topped the charts compiled by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir.
The president blamed the&nbsp;pollution&nbsp;on excessive road&nbsp;traffic&nbsp;and&nbsp;industries using coal&nbsp;and&nbsp;said nearly 1 million vehicles enter Jakarta each day.
"Jakarta is always on the top 10 of list of cities with the worst&nbsp;traffic&nbsp;jams," he said. "Traffic&nbsp;jams&nbsp;and&nbsp;pollution&nbsp;always exist in Jakarta."
The&nbsp;capital, which has a population of more than 10 million, is also served by an existing, 16 km long underground mass rapid transport (MRT) line that connect the southern areas to downtown Jakarta.
Indonesia&nbsp;has started building a new city on Borneo island&nbsp;called Nusantara to replace the congested Jakarta as&nbsp;capital&nbsp;of Southeast Asia's biggest economy. The project, which has no timeframe for completion, is a key part of the president's legacy as he prepares to leave office next year.
($1 = 15,294.0000 rupiah)
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(Reporting by Ananda Teresia; Editing by Martin Petty)

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