E. Java accident reflects ignorance and neglect<\/p>\n
Danang Parikesit , Director, Center for Transportation and Logistics Studies,
\nGadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Last week's accident in East Java which claimed the lives of
\nmore than 50 of our children is clear evidence of neglect and
\nignorance on the part of the government and transport operators
\n-- and all of us -- as to the importance of safety in our land
\ntransportation system.<\/p>\n
In the last five years, we have witnessed a dramatic decline
\nin the passenger safety of land transportation. News of train
\ncollisions, trucks and train crashes, bus accidents, and
\npedestrians hit by cars and motorcycles is all too common.<\/p>\n
Official statistics may show less accidents but the number of
\nfatalities is increasing. Underreporting makes it difficult to
\nassess the nature and magnitude of the problems. Out-of-court
\nsettlements, and distrust of law enforcers has contributed to the
\nfailure to deal with passenger safety.<\/p>\n
Just two days before the accident happened, the Director
\nGeneral of Land Transportation at the Ministry of Transportation
\ntalked about vehicle inspection and maintenance. One day before,
\nin Yogyakarta, where the unfortunate students studied, he met
\nwith provincial, district and city officials to emphasize the
\nimportance of safety in passenger transportation.<\/p>\n
True, accidents are rare compared to the amount of traffic on
\nour roads and railways. A recent survey shows that Indonesians
\nmake 6.5 billion trips a year, not including local trips, and
\naccidents affect only a tiny fraction of this figure.<\/p>\n
However this does not justify our negligence. The \"as-long-as-
\nthey-are-not-my-family\" syndrome is perhaps the main reason why
\nmost people treat accidents the way they do today, and perhaps
\nwill continue to do so in the future, if no action is taken.<\/p>\n
Public education on traffic safety should be the main strategy
\nas a long-term solution for ensuring better traffic safety. An
\nillustration of the need for the right type of public education
\nwas the resistance to the compulsory use of safety belts from car
\nowners and manufacturers.<\/p>\n
Finally, the Ministry of Transportation delayed introducing
\nthe compulsory use of safety belts. Why was such a measure
\nrejected, one which could save lives? Past experience shows that
\nthe government is not prepared to provide public education on
\nsuch vital issues.<\/p>\n
In developed countries, traffic-safety education is carefully
\nand prudently designed for school children even as young as at
\npre-school age.<\/p>\n
The School Safety Patrol is not yet designed to improving
\ntraffic safety awareness, but is rather designed to train young
\nstudents to imitate traffic police in the area around the school.<\/p>\n
The transportation available to students usually has the
\nlowest quality standards. As students grow older, their
\nperceptions of public transportation is that it is an unsafe,
\nuncomfortable, low quality and polluting means of transportation.
\nAs a consequence, public transportation patronage in Indonesian
\ncities is gradually declining -- jeopardizing the public
\ntransportation industry and resulting in losses and debt.<\/p>\n
The land transportation sector is also an area of tortuous
\nbureaucracy. The Ministry of Settlement and Regional
\nInfrastructure is responsible for road infrastructure provision,
\nthe Ministry of Transportation is responsible for transportation
\nregulation and licensing, the Ministry of Trade and Industry is
\nresponsible for vehicle standards and imports, while road
\nworthiness is now in the hands of local governments.<\/p>\n
Local governments are also responsible for controlling
\noverloading in the case of freight transportation. The police
\nissue driving licenses. All of the above arrangements are
\nresponsible for the chaos in the land transportation sector. In
\nthe case of accidents, one blames the other.<\/p>\n
The lack of transparency and accountability in each department
\nin the traffic safety chain is highly worrying. Illegal charges
\nimposed on truck and bus drivers are common -- thus justifying
\nviolations of regulations among drivers.<\/p>\n
The whole transportation industry is, in fact, very vulnerable
\nto bribery and corruption, which further contributes to neglect
\nand ignorance as regards passenger safety. For long-distance
\npassengers and freight transportation, for instance, the tight
\ncompetition in the airline business has forced user costs down,
\naffecting the survival of the bus and trucking industry.<\/p>\n
To survive, they have to cut costs -- but not the \"hidden
\ncosts\" and unnecessary costs. Service quality and safety are
\ntherefore sacrificed.<\/p>\n
In the absence of competence standards, anyone holding a
\nregular driving license for vehicles with larger engines can
\ndrive vehicles carrying paying passengers. Worse still, people
\nwithout licenses are able to drive vehicles without being
\nscrutinized by law enforcers.<\/p>\n
It is high time for the government to make a concerted effort
\nto combat traffic accidents. The formation of a traffic safety
\naudit team -- consisting of the representatives of various
\nministries and departments -- should be the first step toward
\nestablishing standard operating procedures for investigating
\naccidents and setting infrastructure and vehicle design
\nstandards.<\/p>\n
This ad-hoc team should not become a superbody creating more
\nbureaucratic red-tape. A blue print and a clear road map toward
\nbetter traffic safety should be developed in consultation with
\nall concerned parties.<\/p>\n
Corruption-free inspection and maintenance facilities should
\nbe made a reality. The system should avoid direct cash
\ntransactions between vehicle owners and officials in the
\ninspection facilities. Driving competence should be required to
\nensure that the liability of a driver carrying paying passengers
\nis clearly defined.<\/p>\n
Accidents never choose their victims. Whether you are rich or
\npoor, driving a car or crossing a street, in a city or a remote
\nvillage, you could be next. For governments, both central and
\nlocal, the transportation industry, user groups and NGOs, now is
\nthe time to act!<\/p>",
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