Jakarta Deputy Governor Admits Not Yet Receiving Data on Unguarded Level Crossings

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Governor of DKI Jakarta Rano Karno has admitted that he has not yet received detailed data regarding the distribution of locations and the number of unguarded railway level crossings in the Jakarta area.

He stated this in response to data from PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) Daop 1 Jakarta, which recorded hundreds of accident-prone points without gates or security posts.

“I haven’t received data on the gates (crossing gates) that are unguarded (in Jakarta),” said Rano Karno at the DKI Jakarta City Hall on Wednesday.

Rano acknowledged that Jakarta has a higher number of railway crossings compared to other regions.

However, he stressed the need for verification regarding safety standards at each of these points.

“But sorry, perhaps if it’s about gates or doors, Jakarta definitely has far more than other regions. But whether those gates are guarded, that’s something we really need to question,” explained Rano.

Previously, he also mentioned that railway level crossings in the Jakarta area must be evaluated to prevent the recurrence of KRL and long-distance train accidents at Bekasi Timur Station on Monday (27/4).

Based on PT KAI data, there are 423 level crossing points in the operational area of Daop 1 Jakarta, which spans from Banten to Cikampek.

Of that number, 130 points fall into the category of unguarded crossings.

Manager of Public Relations for KAI Daop 1 Jakarta, Franoto Wibowo, emphasised that crossings without guards, sirens, and gate barriers are a serious concern due to the high risk of accidents.

“Crossings that have no guards and are not equipped with safety devices such as gate barriers, sirens, and other safety equipment are a serious concern,” said Franoto.

To address this, KAI is encouraging the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government and related local governments to accelerate the transformation of level crossings into non-level crossings, such as flyovers or underpasses.

Currently, there are only 118 non-level crossings in the Daop 1 area.

“We support local governments in improving safety at unguarded level crossings by converting them into non-level crossings, or at least equipping them with safety equipment and guards,” stated Franoto.