Bus ownerrs told to install emergency exits<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuni and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post,
\nJakarta\/Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Fatalities in the latest bus crash could have been avoided, or at
\nleast minimized, had the bus been equipped to proper safety
\nstandards, including the provision of an emergency exit,
\ntransportation observers have said.<\/p>\n
The accident, which killed 54 people, 49 of whom were
\nschoolgirls, shows how terrible the country's transportation
\nsystem is, the observers added.<\/p>\n
"Every bus should be equipped with an emergency exit.
\nUnfortunately, this is not compulsory for bus operators,"
\ntransportation observer Heru Sutomo told The Jakarta Post on
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
He said an emergency exit was not difficult to install for an
\nautomotive manufacturing company. However, the company would only
\nprovide them if specifically asked to by bus operators.<\/p>\n
"We have to make it clear how important it is to have an
\nemergency exit on every bus," Heru added.<\/p>\n
Fellow observer Danang Parikesit blamed the government for
\npoor law enforcement and a lack of commitment to the safety of
\npublic transportation passengers.<\/p>\n
The government, he said, did not uphold the public
\ntransportation regulations and was lax when it came to assessing
\nthe fitness of public transportation vehicles and maximum loads.<\/p>\n
The observers, both from Gadjah Mada University's
\ntransportation studies department, were commenting on the
\naccident that left 54 people burned alive after the bus carrying
\nthem caught fire following a collision with a trailer truck in
\nSitubondo, East Java.<\/p>\n
It was the most tragic traffic accident in the country this
\nyear. Early in June, 10 people were burned alive and four others
\nsuffered serious burns when a passenger bus burst into flames in
\nBrebes, Central Java.<\/p>\n
Heru asserted that an improvement in the quality of the
\ndomestic transportation system was not easy to achieve because it
\nwould involve at least 14 sectors, including inspection of public
\nvehicles, loading tests and driver competence.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, Danang called for the enforcement of a standard
\nof competence for public drivers and a transparent, corruption-
\nfree inspections system for public transportation.<\/p>\n
He said the absence of both safety factors had been the main
\ncause of numerous fatal traffic accidents. Road accidents are
\ncommon in Indonesia, with an average 29 deaths per day.<\/p>\n
Danang suggested stricter requirements for the issuance of
\ndrivers' licenses for public service vehicles.<\/p>\n
"A driver's license alone is not enough for them as it only
\ndeals with their driving skill. It has nothing to do with their
\ndriving competence for a means of transportation that carries
\npassengers, which also implies a sense of responsibility," he
\nsaid, adding that in most developed countries, public
\ntransportation drivers were required to have a special public
\nservice vehicle license.<\/p>\n
"Here, anyone who has obtained a SIM B driving license can
\ndrive a passenger bus, regardless of whether they are competent
\nto do so," he said. A SIM B is a license for driving public
\ntransportation.<\/p>\n
Danang suggested that a standard of competence for public
\ntransportation drivers should top the government's agenda in
\nmanaging public transportation. Otherwise, fatal traffic
\naccidents due to the carelessness of drivers would remain a big
\nthreat, he added.<\/p>\n
"I think it's time for the government to issue a regulation on
\nstandards of competence for public transportation drivers," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Referring to a report, Danang said that inspection of bus
\nfeasibility was prone to corruption.<\/p>\n
As a result, he said, inspections were not carried out
\nproperly, or even at all.<\/p>",
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