Indonesia's Level Crossing Emergency! What is Prabowo's Solution?

The issue of level crossings has once again come under scrutiny following a fatal accident between an electric rail train and a long-distance train at Bekasi Timur Station in West Java.

The Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) and the government alike have described this condition as a chronic problem that remains unresolved, even deemed to have reached an emergency stage.

DPR RI Speaker Puan Maharani has urged the government, along with PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) and relevant stakeholders, to immediately improve the safety system on railway lines, particularly at level crossing points.

“We ask the Government, KAI, together with related stakeholders, to prioritise the issue of safety on railway lines. The system and security on railway lines must be improved,” said Puan on Tuesday (28/4/2026).

“Especially at level crossings, which we still find many along the railway routes. Because their security is very lacking, train accidents often occur and this must be addressed seriously,” she continued.

Puan reminded that train accidents not only cause loss of life but also impact public trust in mass transportation, particularly KRL in urban areas.

“In the urban mobility system like Jabodetabek, KRL is not just a mass transport mode, but a social infrastructure that supports daily community activities. Therefore, every major incident also affects public perception of safety,” she stated.

“In such conditions, safety must be present in the form of security standardisation that can assure the public that every potential risk has been anticipated,” said Puan.

In addition, Puan emphasised the importance of a thorough investigation into the accident incident in Bekasi, so that it can produce real improvements for the future.

“Operators and the Government need to demonstrate that safety standards are updated in a real, measurable, and understandable way for the public,” she said.

Chair of Commission V of the DPR, Lasarus, described this issue as a “level crossing emergency” that has persisted for a long time without a thorough resolution.

“We ask the government to immediately resolve the level crossing emergency in Indonesia. Commission V of the DPR has been asking KAI for years to resolve the level crossing routes, but to this day it has not been handled properly,” said Lasarus.

He revealed that thousands of level crossings are still not managed optimally, thus posing a high potential to trigger accidents.