Maritime transport safety has become a key concern in safeguarding\nnational connectivity, particularly amid the high mobility of passengers\nand vehicles between islands.<\/p>\n
Every shipping accident should serve as a moment to strengthen the\nsafety system comprehensively, rather than merely searching for a cause\nbased on the age of the vessel.<\/p>\n
Rakhmatika Ardianto, Vice Chair of the Maritime Transport Forum of\nthe Indonesian Transport Society (MTI), urged all parties not to rush to\nconclude that the accident involving KMP Virgo Transport 8 was caused by\nthe ship\u2019s age. According to him, the cause of the accident must be\ndetermined through a thorough examination and the findings of the\nNational Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT), which is still\ngathering data related to the incident.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet us not allow the term \u2018old ship\u2019 to become an instant answer\nevery time an accident occurs. The year of construction is indeed\nimportant information, but it is not a conclusion about the cause. We\nmust give the KNKT room to examine the facts, not pre-empt it with\nassumptions,\u201d said Rakhmatika on Tuesday (15\/9\/2026).<\/p>\n
He expressed his concern and condolences to the victims and affected\nfamilies. According to him, the handling of victims must be the\npriority, whilst safety evaluations should be carried out objectively so\nas to produce proper improvements for the national maritime transport\nsystem.<\/p>\n
Rakhmatika explained that in the shipping industry there is no simple\nconcept of a ship\u2019s technical lifespan; rather, there is the concept of\neconomic life. This is because various ship components can be repaired,\nrenewed or replaced as long as they meet technical and safety\nrequirements.<\/p>\n
\u201cA ship is different from a human being. Plates, engines, pipes and\nits various systems can be repaired or replaced. Even though its\ncalendar age keeps increasing, the technical condition of its components\ncan be restored through maintenance and renewal,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
According to him, the classification system also requires a ship\u2019s\ncondition to be inspected periodically. These inspections cover, among\nother things, potential corrosion, cracking, deformation and structural\nfatigue. Findings requiring repair must be followed up in accordance\nwith the requirements and deadlines so that the ship continues to meet\nclassification rules.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis means that component renewal must be accompanied by an\ninspection of the ship\u2019s overall condition,\u201d he asserted.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, economic life relates to cost considerations in\nkeeping a ship operational. As age increases, the need for repairs,\ncomponent replacement, equipment renewal and potential downtime may\nrise.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt a certain point, shipowners need to assess whether maintaining\nthe ship is still economical, or whether fleet replacement is more\nappropriate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Rakhmatika also judged that a ship\u2019s age cannot be the sole measure\nof safety. He cited several ships, decades old, that are still used for\ntransport services in various countries.<\/p>\n
In Norway, for example, the M\/F Oisang, built in 1950, still serves\nthe Risor\u2013Oysang crossing. The ship is around 76 years old in 2026. In\nHong Kong, eight Star Ferry vessels serving regular routes have an\naverage age of around 63 years.<\/p>\n
Further examples are found in the United States through the MV\nTustumena, built in 1964 or around 62 years old, which is one of the\nocean-class certified passenger and vehicle ferries. Meanwhile, the M\/F\nVenosund in Denmark was built in 1931, and the PS Trilium in Canada was\nbuilt in 1910.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese examples show that old age does not automatically end a ship\u2019s\nservice. What needs to be examined is how the ship has been maintained\nand inspected periodically,\u201d said Rakhmatika.<\/p>\n
Regarding the Virgo Transport 8, he said the vessel was previously\nknown as the Ferry Kurushima, serving the Kokura\u2013Matsuyama route in\nJapan. The ship previously operated in waters with a sea depth of around\n40\u201350 metres before moving to Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd this corresponds to the depths found in the Java Sea,\u201d he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
In terms of construction, Rakhmatika noted that the vessel uses\nhigh-tensile steel (HTS), a high-strength steel used in ship\nconstruction.<\/p>\n
He also noted that the Virgo Transport 8 held classification from\nClassNK in Japan, a member of the International Association of\nClassification Societies (IACS). After operating in Indonesia, oversight\nis conducted by the government, in this case the Directorate General of\nSea Transportation, and the classification society, namely Biro\nKlasifikasi Indonesia.<\/p>\n
For this reason, he believes any evaluation of the accident must\nexamine the entire maritime transport safety chain. According to him,\nthere are at least four stakeholders with important roles: the\nregulator, shipping operators, port facilitators, and consumers or\nservice users.<\/p>\n
From the regulator\u2019s side, the government plays a role in drawing up\nrules and conducting oversight, including crew certification. Meanwhile,\noperators are responsible for the readiness of the ship, crew, loading\nand vessel operation in line with safety provisions, including\nSOLAS.<\/p>\n
Port managers also have a responsibility to ensure that facilities as\nwell as the control of vehicles and goods before boarding function\nproperly. Port sterilisation is an important part, because disorder can\ncreate discrepancies between actual conditions and the ship\u2019s\nmanifest.<\/p>\n
\u201cMeanwhile, service users, including cargo owners and transport\noperators, must convey loading information accurately and comply with\nsafety regulations,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n
In the context of accident prevention, particular attention must also\nbe directed at over dimension over loading (ODOL) vehicles, especially\nwith regard to actual weight, dimensions and the arrangement of vehicles\non board.<\/p>\n
Rakhmatika explained that load control concerns at least three\naspects. First, the load must match the ship\u2019s buoyancy capacity.\nExcessive load can increase the ship\u2019s draught, thereby reducing its\nreserve buoyancy.<\/p>\n
Second, the ship has load limits on the deck and on certain\nstructural parts. Vehicle weight, axle load and the distribution of load\nthrough the wheels must match the structural capacity.<\/p>\n
\u201cLocal loads exceeding the limit can damage the plating or supporting\nstructures, even if the ship\u2019s total weight capacity has not been\nexceeded,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n
Third, the arrangement of cargo must maintain the ship\u2019s stability.\nCargo stacked too high can raise the ship\u2019s centre of gravity and reduce\nstability. Under certain conditions, the ship\u2019s ability to return\nupright when listing can be significantly diminished.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough ro-ro ships actually have better stability than passenger\nvessels because they have a longer stability lever,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
To strengthen accident prevention, Rakhmatika encouraged the\noptimisation of vehicle weighing facilities available at ports.\nAccording to him, weighing results should not merely serve as\nadministrative data, but must be used in deciding vehicle acceptance,\ndeck placement, compliance with structural load limits and ship\nstability calculations.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/inter-island-connectivity-increasingly-strategic-maritime-transport-safety-must-be-strengthened-1789455051", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }