Preventing disasters

Preventing disasters

Since the very beginning of this year we have been rocked by a
series of disasters. Floods engulfed Jakarta. Fires destroyed
scores of homes in Penjaringan, North Jakarta and the National
Police Headquarters in South Jakarta. Then a trainer aircraft
crashed into a market in Bandung. And late last week the ferry
Gurita sank in the waters off Weh Island in Aceh, with 210 people
on board.

Natural disasters are almost impossible to predict. Volcanoes
erupt and seas boil suddenly. Disasters caused by human error,
however, can be averted. We do appreciate the measures taken by
the Ministry of Transportation (concerning the Gurita disaster),
which not only rushed aid to the victims but also formed a team
to conduct an investigation into the cause of the tragedy.

On the other hand, we would like to underscore the information
provided by our reporter regarding the condition of the generally
old boats owned by PT ASDP, which operates ferries on the
country's rivers, lakes and seas. Although still functional, this
fleet needs rejuvenating, especially in light of the growing
demand for ferry services.

-- Suara Karya, Jakarta