Analyst highlights the importance of sufficient budget to reduce level crossing accidents

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Transportation expert Djoko Setjowarno has highlighted the importance of sufficient funding to reduce the number of accidents at level crossings and to address illegal crossings in the regions. According to him, East Java Province has managed to lower the number of level crossing accidents in 2025, but this achievement leaves a heavy burden of costs for human resources (HR) as well as education and training (training) for the regions. “Based on data from the East Java Provincial Transportation Agency (2026), the number of accidents at level crossings shows a consistent downward trend over the past three years. After reaching a peak of 59 incidents in 2022, the number was drastically reduced to 30 incidents in 2024, and reached the lowest point in the last decade with 22 incidents in 2025,” Djoko stated when contacted on Friday. He assessed that this success proves the presence of on-site guards is the main key to railway transportation safety. However, he said, the adequacy of the budget remains the main challenge in infrastructure development in the regions. Nevertheless, Djoko views East Java’s success as something that needs to be followed by other regions in Indonesia. He emphasised that efforts to improve railway transportation safety must not stop due to insufficient budgets. On the other hand, he stated that cuts to transfers to regions could directly impact cuts to the Railway Safety Improvement Support Budget. “In fact, the risk of accidents at level crossings requires urgent and sustainable handling. As a result, there is a significant imbalance between the fiscal limitations of district/city governments and the magnitude of the responsibility for managing level crossings that must be borne,” Djoko said. He revealed that amid the surge in population needing high mobility services, the cuts are feared to create a wide gap between ideal safety targets and minimal budget realities. “The intention to ensure safety without a budget will be in vain,” Djoko concluded.