Poor equipment blamed for train crash<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Analysts blamed a lack of modern equipment and a lack of
\nprofessionalism as the major cause of the increasing number of
\ntrain accidents, including the latest one in Rangkasbitung,
\nBanten, which killed three people, injured 15 others and
\nvirtually destroyed the two trains on Thursday morning.<\/p>\n
Hendrowijono, the head of Masyarakyat Pencinta Keretaapi
\n(Train Lovers Society), an organization concerned with train-
\nrelated issues, told The Jakarta Post here on Friday that the
\ntrain problems facing Indonesia include improper maintenance,
\nlack of spare parts, mismanagement and lack of professionalism
\namong staff.<\/p>\n
Currently, some 10 percent of PT KAI trains uses obsolete
\ntechnology and equipment, which is no longer suitable for present
\nconditions, Hendrowijono said.<\/p>\n
PT KAI continues to use old trains while the train industry no
\nlonger produces them or the spare parts needed. To repair the
\ntrains, PT KAI has to rely on its employees' resourcefulness, he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
\"Those trains are too dangerous to be operated,\" he told the
\nPost.<\/p>\n
Hendrowiyono's statement was supported by Mitsuru Takahashi, a
\nJapanese mechanic who currently helps PT KAI with train
\nmaintenance.<\/p>\n
\"I have found that there are not sufficient spare parts for
\nsuch trains here,\" he told the Post through a translator, adding
\nthat there were too many obsolete trains still operating here.<\/p>\n
Hendrowijono asserted that PT KAI had failed to develop
\nemployee professionalism, particularly with its engineers. The
\ncompany's hiring system is not need-based, they only hire when
\nthe financial conditions are right for them, he added.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Heru Sutomo, the director of the center for
\ntransportation and logistics studies at Gadjah Mada University,
\nurged the transportation ministry and PT KAI to take serious
\nefforts to stop the rampant occurrence of train accidents here.<\/p>\n
According to Heru, the government had assigned the ministry to
\nmanage railway tracks in 1999 while PT KAI was assigned to handle
\ntrain operations.<\/p>\n
However, the ministry then turned around and asked PT KAI to
\nalso manage the tracks, citing its lack of experience.<\/p>\n
The ministry, therefore, has yet to form a railroad track
\noversight body, which plays an important role in operating trains
\naround the country. \"Comparing it to the human body, the train
\nsystem functions like a complex nerve system,\" Heru stressed.<\/p>\n
\"It is nonsense if officials merely blamed the engineers for
\nall the fatal accidents in the country,\" he remarked, adding that
\nan engineer is actually \"blind\" while operating a train in
\nIndonesia's current system because he has to follow the signals
\ngiven to him and all the lives of the passengers depends on the
\npeople giving the signals.<\/p>\n
Heru strongly urged the government to privatize PT KAI so that
\nprofessionals from other countries can operate the system, while
\nPT KAI remains as a railway management company and not as an
\noperator.<\/p>\n
\"I believe that if private companies handled train operations,
\nthe situation would improve immensely because they (private
\noperating companies) will always try to enhance their services
\nand safety as a way to raise income,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/poor-equipment-blamed-for-train-crash-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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