KAI Targets Closure of 172 Level Crossings, 80 Already Closed

Jakarta, Kompas.com - PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) targets closing as many as 172 level crossings. In a working meeting with Commission V of the DPR discussing rail accidents at Bekasi Timur Station, 80 level crossings had been reported closed. “As of yesterday, of the 172 targeted closures, 80 have been completed,” said the President Director of PT KAI (Persero) Bobby Rasyidin at the working meeting with Commission V of the DPR, quoted from TVR Parlemen’s YouTube broadcast, Thursday (21 May 2026). To that end, KAI has coordinated with local governments to install crossing gates at the level crossings. “This is a swift corrective response, including JPL (Jalur Perlintasan Langsung),” said Bobby. Prior to KAI’s briefing, Chairman of Commission V Lasarus highlighted discrepancies in data on rail level crossings among related ministries/agencies. “There are thousands of level crossing points, but data on crossing gates is not optimal, because each ministry/agency has data that still needs to be synchronised,” he said. He noted that there are 4,242 level crossings according to the data of the Ministry of Public Works (PU). “That figure affects how many gates are guarded and how many are not,” Lasarus said. In addition, he referred to Law No. 23 of 2007 concerning Railways, which reinforces rules relating to level crossings. One clause, Article 124, states that every road user has a primary obligation to give way to trains. “This is certainly a major policy challenge for the government in organising Indonesia’s railways,” said a politician from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).