'All trains should be inspected'

Investigators from the Ministry of Transportation have said human error was the cause of the train crash in South Jakarta last Thursday, which claimed four lives and injured hundreds of other passengers. The Jakarta Post asked residents what they thought needed to be improved on the city's rail links.

Arjati Azhari is a 52-year old housewife who lives in Roxy, Central Jakarta:

Our train system is currently in a big mess and is close to total chaos. That applies to both the quality of the human resources and the infrastructure.

Both contributing factors make it difficult for railway operator PT KAI to provide a better service.

From what I saw in the news, in the Pasar Minggu crash the drivers seemed determined to follow the standard operating procedures but the system did not work properly.

The company should prioritize the replacement and maintenance of crucial instruments before blaming accidents on human error.

In terms of safety, it is also a concern that even in business class carriages there have been thefts reported during long trips. Passengers cannot even close their eyes for a second.

Kai Akbar, 30, is a project officer with the Australian Embassy. He lives in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta:

I have no complaints if we are talking about the express trains except that PT KAI should improve carriage cleanliness, especially at the back of the compartments.

However, if we are talking about economy class commuter trains, it is a different story. They are too crowded and unkept.

PT KAI must manage the train system more professionally. Accidents often happen because there is a lack of coordination and insufficient communication between the operators and the drivers.

There should also be more careful inspections of trains before they are allowed to operate.

-- The Jakarta Post