Train crash victims to get compensation
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Brebes
Families of the 30 passengers killed in Tuesday's train crash in Central Java will receive Rp 16 million (about US$1,500) in compensation each from state-owned railway company PT KAI and insurance firm PT Jasa Raharja, officials said on Thursday.
In addition, they will also receive three-year scholarships for two of their relatives.
"PT KAI will also provide coffins and transport fees for the dead victims and cover all burial costs," Badar Zaini, PT KAI president director, told a media conference.
Both state companies have undertaken to pay for the medical expenses of those injured in the accident in Brebes, some five hours east of Jakarta by road.
Government officials have blamed the train's driver, Muhammad To'at, who was seriously injured in the head-on crash, for the latest in a series of deadly train crashes that have occurred throughout the year.
Badar said that the railway company would also offer compensation for those injured in the accident but that the amount and timing of the compensation were yet to be determined.
The crash has prompted strong calls for relevant government officials to resign as a symbol of moral responsibility.
Badar, Transportation Minister Agum Gumelar and State Minister of State Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi planned to meet on Friday (today) to discuss the stance they would adopt in response to the public's anger.
Although railway authorities have singled out the train driver as the main suspect in the crash, Badar reported that a thorough investigation was underway to determine why the incident had occurred.
The driver, To'at, is reportedly still in intensive care in hospital in Brebes. It will be some time before he has recovered sufficiently to face questioning.
The police have questioned a number of witnesses, including the head of Brebes' Ketanggungan railway station Ujang Effendi.
PT KAI has put the blame for previous deadly train accidents on "human error".
Critics said on Thursday that poor management and weak discipline among PT KAI staff members were also to blame.
Hundreds of people have been killed in numerous train accidents over the last three years. In 1998 alone there were at least 132 crashes, which left 62 passengers dead and caused Rp 14.95 billion (US$1.46 million) in losses to the state.
Some observers say that major train accidents have been occurring more regularly over the past three years but that the government and PT KAI have failed to draw lessons from them.
"The main problem in the state railway company is the low discipline of its staff members and bad management," Moch S. Hendrowiyono, chairman of Masyarakat Pecinta Kereta Api (Train Lovers Society), said.
Retno Widiastuti of the Indonesian Consumers' Foundation (YLKI) echoed Hendrowiyono's views, urging PT KAI to set up a team of independent auditors to investigate the company's management.
"The company needs to be audited properly. There is something wrong with the management that consumers need to know about," she told The Jakarta Post.
Agum promised on Wednesday to heed public demands for an audit. He said he had appointed an independent auditor to ensure transparency in the company's management.
Previous audits have been conducted by PT KAI itself and the results have not been made public.