Train passengers say security must be improved

JAKARTA (JP): Last Friday's murder aboard a Parahyangan express train has raised doubts about security on the country's train system.

Contacted separately on Monday, several regular train passengers, particularly those who often travel in the nonexecutive cabins, said robberies, sexual harassment and other crimes had become common on trains.

In the past few years, complaints from passengers about stolen items, including cameras, laptops and cell phones, have soared.

Passengers can only file complaints with state railway firm PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI), which has held the monopoly in operating trains in the country for quite some time, with little hope of ever recovering their belongings.

Tedi, a frequent passenger on the Jabotabek train plying the Bogor-Jakarta route, voiced displeasure with PT KAI's failure to maintain security.

"My pocket was picked earlier this year just days after my brother experienced a similar nightmare on the same train," he said.

Erlinda Marlinda, another regular passenger on the train, said: "I think train passengers should secure themselves as much as they can and not rely on others due to the poor security.

"It is nonsense waiting for the authorities to solve a problem."

She said she has witnessed numerous crimes on trains and has never seen PT KAI employees take action to protect the passengers.

"I don't see any effort on the part of the railway company to remedy the problems. That's why I was not surprised when I heard that a woman was killed on a train," Erlinda said.

Febriana Farida, 22, was stabbed to death on Friday onboard the Parahyangan express train traveling from Jakarta to Bandung. The motive behind the killing remains unknown and may never be uncovered, because the man who allegedly killed Farida was beaten to death by a mob following the incident.

Indra Wijaya, a regular Parahyangan passenger, said PT KAI should learn from the tragic incident and improve security on the trains.

"The company should have identified the crime trends on trains .... Criminals, for example, steal passengers' belongings seconds before the trains stop at a railway station, when the engineer has decreased the speed of the train," Indra said.

The victims, he added, were usually those standing near the exits.

Another regular passenger on the Parahyangan train, Grace Emilia, shared Indra's concerns. She said she was always worried when the train reached a station.

"There are too many porters struggling for customers and the authorities do nothing to put them in order," Emilia said.

In response to the complaints, the spokesman for PT KAI's Jakarta operational area, Zainal Abidin, admitted the company faced numerous difficulties in providing security aboard trains.

"Crime has escalated everywhere, not only on trains. It's a social problem which should be solved by all elements of society. PT KAI alone does not have enough power to handle the problem," Zainal said.

One of the main problems faced by PT KAI in dealing with criminals is a lack of security personnel, he said.

According to Zainal, his Jakarta office has 100 Polsuska (special train police) personnel and 100 officers from the Jakarta Police who are responsible for security inside the trains.

His said his office also hired 167 private security guards to maintain security in railway stations in the capital and the surrounding area.

Some of the personnel, he added, are attired in civilian clothes.

"We still need more personnel as we're responsible for 400 trains and 90 railway stations throughout our area, which includes the West Java areas of Cikampek, Merak and Sukabumi," he said.

He said that after the murder aboard the train, the company had instructed all station chiefs to tighten security by improving their coordination with local police.

"It is impossible for us to add more security personnel due to our limited budget," he said.

Zainal said PT KAI was prioritizing security onboard trains at locations known for criminal activity.

"So far, our security guards are only allowed to be armed with sticks," he added.(ind)