Bus blaze highlights lack of standards
Bus blaze highlights lack of standards
JAKARTA (JP): The girl holds back her tears. She understands that nothing can bring back her parents and little brother, not even heartfelt tears.
Tanti's parents and brother were among the 31 people killed when a Bandung-bound Kramatdjati bus slammed into a stationary jeep last Saturday.
"I'm heartbroken, but nothing will bring them back," Tanti, a high school student, sighed.
Her father left for Bandung to attend a school reunion. Her mother and 3-year-old brother went along.
Twenty nine passengers were trapped in the bus and burned to death after the bus turned into an inferno upon impact with the jeep. The bus driver failed to open the automatic doors, sealing their fate. Two people who were in the jeep were also killed.
The accident has raised many questions, including about the way bus companies hire drivers. Kramatdjati is actually noted for its strict requirements.
"Many people have expressed surprise that such a reckless driver (Agus Arifin) was recruited in the first place," said Kosasih, a driver for the Merdeka bus company which serves the Banjar-Jakarta route.
Kosasih joined many others in condemning Agus' conduct: the alleged consumption of barbiturate pills and beer before work. Other drivers believe such an act damaging to the reputation of other drivers.
"Real drivers do not need pills or alcohol, especially if it's done to show off. Taking jamu pegel linu (herbal medicine to cure muscular pain) is enough," Kosasih added.
Meanwhile M. Yasin, a staff member of Kramatdjati's night shift, said the company is very strict in recruiting drivers.
"We do not immediately allow new drivers to drive a bus. After a series of tests, the new recruit is required to spend time as an apprentice and only after passing the probation period is a driver allowed behind the wheel of a bus. Even then, he shares a bus with two or three other drivers," he explained.
Sharing the driving of a bus instills a sense of responsibility among drivers and maintains control, he said. For example, if a driver causes even slight damage to a bus, other drivers will feel the consequences, added Yasin.
"The bus sharing also allows drivers to work in shifts. This is important, especially for night drivers who need to stay physically fit," he added.
Yasin pointed out that the company pays careful attention to its drivers' welfare.
"When they have family problems, the company tries to help. Of course, this depends on each driver's performance," said Yasin, who refused to reveal whether the drivers are permanent employees or simply contract workers.
Yet strict requirements and training alone are not enough to guarantee passengers' safety. The fact that 29 passengers were trapped in the Saturday's inferno shows that many buses lack safety measurements.
Safety systems
Djauhari Perangin-Angin, secretary-general of the Land Transportation Owners Association, admitted that many commercial bus companies operating in cities do not equip their buses with adequate safety systems, such as emergency doors and fire extinguishers as stipulated in a 1993 government regulation. The regulation was issued in accordance with Law No.14/1992 on Traffic and Land Transportation.
The law, however, is not enforced and many bus owners are unaware that such a regulation exist.
"After the tragic accident everybody is trying to find a scapegoat," Djauhari said.
The authorities will in all probability blame the Kramatdjati bus company for violating the safety regulation. On the other hand, the bus company might blame the authorities for allowing its vehicles to operate without adequate safety equipment.
Public buses and other public transport vehicles must be tested at the Land Transportation Owners Association every six months.
"If the officials at the association find we do not equip our vehicles with the necessary safety equipment, why don't they punish us? Many vehicles are declared safe even though they do not meet some of the requirements," Djauhari argued.
J.A. Barata, spokesman of the Directorate General of Land Transportation, admitted that there are many drawbacks in the implementation of the traffic law.
Barata acknowledged that there are still many "recalcitrant officials, drivers and businesspeople" who keep violating the law.
"It is our duty to properly enforce the law. It is our responsibility to solve transportation problems," Barata said.
Commenting on bus companies' ignorance of the safety equipment regulation, Barata said they should read the regulation carefully.
"Any vehicle owner must understand the existing regulations before they run a business," Barata pointed out.
According to regulations, any commercial bus should have at least two emergency doors/windows measuring 60 cm by 43 cm or 120 cm by 43 cm. The doors should be easy to break into and the windows should be made of safety glass to ensure function in emergencies.
All information on emergency doors or windows should be clearly displayed in the bus. Bus drivers are advised to point out emergency exits to passengers before embarking on a trip.
The question is, why can't the authorities enforce the law?
Ansyar Roem, head of the traffic department of the city police, argued that city police personnel is limited, which makes it difficult to supervise public transport drivers.
He also admitted that "many police concentrate more on drivers' licenses and other necessary documents but not on safety requirements".
There are only 180,000 police officers in Indonesia, including 16,000 in Jakarta and the buffer zone areas of Tangerang, Bekasi and Depok, which altogether have a population of more than 12 million.
Many, however, believe that a lack of personnel is no reason to allow violations of the traffic law. What is clear is that people can't depend too much on the police for enforcement of the traffic law, especially as Indonesia does not a have strong legal culture.
When the Traffic Law was passed in 1992, people complained about the heavy penalties. Previously, a violator was subject to an average fine of Rp 10,000 (US$4.40), but the new law carries a maximum six-month jail term and fines of up to millions of rupiah. The government later agreed to postpone the implementation of the law until September 1993 and introduce it in phases.
Under the 1992 Traffic Law, any motorist who leaves their driver's license at home is subject to two months in jail or a Rp 2 million ($888) fine. An unlicensed motorist can be jailed to up to six months and fined a maximum of Rp 6 million ($2,666). Reckless drivers can be sentenced up to three months in jail or fined a maximum of Rp 3 million ($1,333).
The maximum sentences have never been imposed though. The heftiest fine to date was reportedly Rp 250,000 ($111).
The problem is apparently not in how big the fine is, but public awareness of the law. What's more important is public awareness of how reckless driving jeopardizes other people's lives.
Once a person is killed, no one can bring them back. And the anguish of those who lose their loved ones lasts forever.
"Maybe it is their fate. I am sad but I am not furious. I just hope that drivers will be more responsible in their jobs," a bereaved Tanti said. (team)