Train crash victims to get compensation

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.