Busway blamed for accident<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto and Urip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
At least four accidents involving busway buses have occurred
\nsince the ambitious project was launched by Governor Sutiyoso on
\nJan. 15, with all of the collisions taking place at intersections
\nwhere the busway lane opens up to regular traffic.<\/p>\n
All of the accidents took place in front of officers from the
\nTrans-Jakarta Busway, the city transportation agency and the
\nJakarta Police traffic division. The intersections where these
\nsmashups happened lacked proper traffic signs warning vehicles to
\nbe careful of passing busway buses.<\/p>\n
The transportation agency head, Rustam Effendy, would not
\nblame the accidents on a lack of traffic signs, instead pointing
\nthe finger at the lack of discipline on the part of motorists.<\/p>\n
\"Nothing is wrong with the busway. It is the motorists and
\njaywalkers who lack discipline when they cross the busway lane,\"
\nhe said on Friday.<\/p>\n
Rustam said the agency would not put up traffic signs to warn
\nbusway drivers to be use extra caution when passing points prone
\nto traffic accidents, like U-turns and traffic circles.<\/p>\n
\"New traffic signs mean more money and we don't think they are
\nnecessary,\" he said.<\/p>\n
However, he failed to offer a solution to the traffic
\naccidents along the 12.9-kilometer busway corridor stretching
\nfrom Blok M in South Jakarta to Kota in West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Deputy Governor Fauzi Bowo said that all parties involved in
\nthe busway project lacked discipline.<\/p>\n
\"Not only the public, but the busway management and drivers
\nmust also show discipline. Otherwise, such incidents will
\ncontinue to happen,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Most of the existing traffic signs along the busway corridor
\nare intended for motorists and pedestrians, rather than busway
\ndrivers.<\/p>\n
Only a few intersections, like the Harmoni intersection, are
\nequipped with special busway traffic lights that turn green five
\nseconds before the regular traffic lights, to allow the buses to
\ngo first.<\/p>\n
The latest accident involving the busway occurred on Wednesday
\nwhen a bus traveling from Blok M hit a motorcycle making a U-turn
\nat the Batu Ceper (Alaydrus) intersection. Suyitno, the
\nmotorcyclist, suffered a broken leg and head injuries.<\/p>\n
On Jan. 29, a bus hit a motorcycle making a U-turn at the same
\nintersection, causing motorcyclist Prihono to suffer serious
\ninjuries. A crowd of people who witnessed the accident attempted
\nto burn the bus.<\/p>\n
On Jan. 24, a bus traveling from Blok M hit a car at the Hotel
\nIndonesia traffic circle. The driver, a Swiss citizen, Wuthrich
\nUrs, was uninjured but his car was damaged.<\/p>\n
On Jan. 16, a bus traveling from Blok M hit a motorcycle
\nmaking a U-turn at the Krukut intersection in front of the
\nGramedia bookstore. The two people riding on the motorcycle,
\nWawan and Adi Nurjaya, suffered minor injuries in the accident.<\/p>\n
Points prone to accidents along busway corridor:<\/p>\n
1. Pemuda statue (Pizza Man) traffic circle
\n2. Hotel Indonesia traffic circle
\n3. Bank Indonesia (Arjuna Wijaya statue) traffic circle
\n4. National Monument (Monas) U-turn on Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat
\n5. Jl. Majapahit (Ralin) T-junction
\n6. Harmoni intersection
\n7. Batu Ceper (Alaydrus) intersection bridge
\n8. Sawah Besar (Plaza Gajah Mada) intersection bridge
\n9. Krukut intersection bridge, in front of Gramedia bookstore
\n10. Olimo intersection bridge
\n11. U-turn in front of the Lindeteves hardware wholesale center
\n12. Crosswalk near the Glodok bridge
\n13. Kota railway train station intersection<\/p>",
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"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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