Minister laments increase in traffic fatalities<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto
\ncommemorated yesterday National Transportation Day lamenting the
\nincreasing number of traffic fatalities despite the drop in
\noverall accidents.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that in 1985 there were 42,082 accidents
\ncausing 10,283 deaths.<\/p>\n
This number of accidents has continually dropped with 25,741
\nin 1990, 16,510 in 1995, and 7,367 in the first five months of
\nthis year.<\/p>\n
But the number of traffic fatalities has sadly gone up. There
\nwere 10,036 fatalities in 1990, 10,990 in 1995, and 5,140 in the
\nfirst five months this year.<\/p>\n
\"These figures show that the (negative) quality of road
\naccidents has been increasing,\" Haryanto said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Haryanto did not try to surmise the cause of the increased
\nnumber of fatalities.<\/p>\n
His comments come in the wake of one of the country's worst
\nroad accidents.<\/p>\n
An intercity bus collided with a dump truck at the Cakung-
\nCikunir toll road on Sunday night killing 35 passengers.<\/p>\n
Haryanto reiterated his call for the revocation of the fateful
\nJaya Bakti bus company's license. The driver of the bus was found
\nintoxicated.<\/p>\n
\"They should not run a business if they can't control their
\nbuses,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The director general for land communication at the Ministry of
\nTransportation, Santo Budiono, also expressed concern over the
\nfrequency of toll road accidents.<\/p>\n
He said that people were prone to going over the speed limit
\non toll roads.<\/p>\n
\"Moreover, drivers here have a bad habit of not letting other
\nvehicles overtake them,\" he added.<\/p>\n
So far this year, there have been at least 22 toll road
\naccidents that have claimed 80 lives.<\/p>\n
Most of the accidents were reportedly caused by human error.<\/p>\n
Separately, the head of the University of Bhayangkara,
\nKoesparmono Irsan, did not agree with comments saying that the
\nfrequency of accidents had declined but the negative quality had
\nincreased.<\/p>\n
\"Accidents will always be accidents,\" he said, adding that the
\nrevocation of licenses would not solve the problem.<\/p>\n
The government should perform an in-depth analysis to solve
\nthe transportation problems and, if necessary, a special team
\nshould be created, Koesparmono said.<\/p>\n
He also said that a comprehensive and holistic approach was
\nneeded to answer the more and more complex transportation
\nproblems.<\/p>\n
\"The handling (of such problems) should no longer be
\nreactive,\" he said. (10)<\/p>",
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