Prabowo to Renovate 1,800 Colonial-Era Railway Crossings
President Prabowo Subianto has promised to promptly renovate 1,800 at-grade railway crossing points on Java island, which are claimed to have gone untouched since the Dutch colonial era, following the collision incident between the Argo Bromo train and the KRL Commuter Line at Bekasi Timur Station.
“There are 1,800 such crossing points on Java. These date back to the Dutch era, about several decades ago. Now is the time to resolve all of them,” Prabowo stated at RSUD dr. Chasbullah Abdulmadjid in Bekasi City on Tuesday (28/4).
This firm stance was taken by Prabowo due to his concern over the tragic incident. He assured that a comprehensive investigation into the event would be conducted promptly.
“Yes, I came to Bekasi hospital today. Naturally, we are all concerned and shocked by the accident that occurred. On behalf of myself and the regional government, I extend my condolences. We will soon conduct an investigation into how the incident happened,” Prabowo said.
To break the chain of similar accidents, he specifically highlighted the urgency of updating safety infrastructure at the thousands of outdated railway crossings, which have been left unguarded and pose a great danger to the public.
“I have ordered that we immediately repair all those crossings, whether by installing guard posts or building flyovers,” Prabowo said.
To realise the long-overdue railway crossing renovation project, the government has affirmed it will not hesitate to allocate a budget of up to trillions of rupiah for the safety of citizens.
“We will appoint implementers; let’s calculate it at nearly 4 T, 4 trillion. For safety, because it is very important, we really need the railway, so we must allocate that,” Prabowo emphasised.
In addition to focusing on infrastructure repairs, during his visit Prabowo also monitored the handling of the 54 accident victims at RSUD dr. Chasbullah Abdulmadjid in Bekasi City.
He ensured that all affected victims, whether with serious or minor injuries, receive optimal medical treatment and will receive compensation from the government.
“Some have been discharged, some are being treated. Everything is being handled,” Prabowo said.
“There will be compensation for all of them,” he added.