Firm Stance! West Java Governor Urges Police to Crack Down on Thugs Controlling Railway Crossing Gates

Jakarta – West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi has urged the police to take firm action against rogue community organisations (ormas) and thugs who control and guard railway crossing gates. He made this statement in response to the growing issue of such groups managing level crossings, following the collision between a KRL train and the KA Argo Bromo Anggrek at Bekasi Timur Station on the night of Monday, 27 April 2026. “All Bekasi City Police units must take action today,” Dedi firmly told reporters at Bekasi General Hospital on Wednesday, 29 April 2026. He strongly prohibited the takeover of public assets by unauthorised parties for personal gain. “This is my request as the Governor of West Java: there must be no more ormas or thuggery controlling public assets for their own interests,” he stated. Previously, Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) directly inspected the site of the fatal KRL versus KA Argo Bromo collision at Bekasi Timur Station on Tuesday afternoon, 28 April 2026. AHY highlighted the numerous level crossings around Bekasi Timur Station. “Actually, we have identified from the start that there are still quite a few level crossings where the railway tracks coincide with road transport routes. That is, roads crossing the railway tracks,” AHY told reporters at Bekasi Timur Station. Regarding this, AHY encouraged improved security at every railway crossing point. He stated that there must be personnel guarding each crossing point. “Regarding the many level crossings mentioned, we must ensure that every railway crossing point has security and personnel on guard,” he said. Additionally, AHY mentioned that infrastructure solutions must be built to address the prevalence of level crossings around the station.