Train crash victims to get compensation<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta\/Brebes<\/p>\n
Families of the 30 passengers killed in Tuesday's train crash in
\nCentral Java will receive Rp 16 million (about US$1,500) in
\ncompensation each from state-owned railway company PT KAI and
\ninsurance firm PT Jasa Raharja, officials said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
In addition, they will also receive three-year scholarships
\nfor two of their relatives.<\/p>\n
\"PT KAI will also provide coffins and transport fees for the
\ndead victims and cover all burial costs,\" Badar Zaini, PT KAI
\npresident director, told a media conference.<\/p>\n
Both state companies have undertaken to pay for the medical
\nexpenses of those injured in the accident in Brebes, some five
\nhours east of Jakarta by road.<\/p>\n
Government officials have blamed the train's driver, Muhammad
\nTo'at, who was seriously injured in the head-on crash, for the
\nlatest in a series of deadly train crashes that have occurred
\nthroughout the year.<\/p>\n
Badar said that the railway company would also offer
\ncompensation for those injured in the accident but that the
\namount and timing of the compensation were yet to be determined.<\/p>\n
The crash has prompted strong calls for relevant government
\nofficials to resign as a symbol of moral responsibility.<\/p>\n
Badar, Transportation Minister Agum Gumelar and State Minister
\nof State Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi planned to meet on Friday
\n(today) to discuss the stance they would adopt in response to the
\npublic's anger.<\/p>\n
Although railway authorities have singled out the train driver
\nas the main suspect in the crash, Badar reported that a thorough
\ninvestigation was underway to determine why the incident had
\noccurred.<\/p>\n
The driver, To'at, is reportedly still in intensive care in
\nhospital in Brebes. It will be some time before he has recovered
\nsufficiently to face questioning.<\/p>\n
The police have questioned a number of witnesses, including
\nthe head of Brebes' Ketanggungan railway station Ujang Effendi.<\/p>\n
PT KAI has put the blame for previous deadly train accidents
\non \"human error\".<\/p>\n
Critics said on Thursday that poor management and weak
\ndiscipline among PT KAI staff members were also to blame.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of people have been killed in numerous train
\naccidents over the last three years. In 1998 alone there were at
\nleast 132 crashes, which left 62 passengers dead and caused Rp
\n14.95 billion (US$1.46 million) in losses to the state.<\/p>\n
Some observers say that major train accidents have been
\noccurring more regularly over the past three years but that the
\ngovernment and PT KAI have failed to draw lessons from them.<\/p>\n
\"The main problem in the state railway company is the low
\ndiscipline of its staff members and bad management,\" Moch S.
\nHendrowiyono, chairman of Masyarakat Pecinta Kereta Api (Train
\nLovers Society), said.<\/p>\n
Retno Widiastuti of the Indonesian Consumers' Foundation
\n(YLKI) echoed Hendrowiyono's views, urging PT KAI to set up a
\nteam of independent auditors to investigate the company's
\nmanagement.<\/p>\n
\"The company needs to be audited properly. There is something
\nwrong with the management that consumers need to know about,\" she
\ntold The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Agum promised on Wednesday to heed public demands for an
\naudit. He said he had appointed an independent auditor to ensure
\ntransparency in the company's management.<\/p>\n
Previous audits have been conducted by PT KAI itself and the
\nresults have not been made public.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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