Trains of death
Trains of death
Given the choice, most people would avoid traveling by train
in Indonesia these days. It is simply no longer safe to take the
train. Death awaits you.
Three accidents on Christmas Day must be the last straw. There
have been other major accidents in recent months of which we
counted 13, involving fatalities and injuries, since April 2000.
Train accidents now occur too frequently for comfort.
What are the government and the railway authorities doing
about this? Absolutely zilch.
The authorities are quick to act after each accident, in
dealing with bodies and the injured, and in clearing the tracks
to restore railway services. Minister of Transportation Agum
Gumelar has always made a point of visiting the crash site, of
issuing a public apology and of comforting the injured victims.
But when it comes to improving the safety of passengers, we
have yet to hear anything that gives us reassurance about
traveling by train. On the contrary, things seem to get worse
each time. The recent spate of accidents must now make us wonder
about the safety of traveling by train and the government's
commitment to improving passenger safety.
Unfortunately, for many people in Java, the train is the only
mode of transportation available to them, especially those
returning to their home villages to spend Idul Fitri or
Christmas/New Year with their families. It is relatively fast and
inexpensive compared with the alternatives.
It wouldn't surprise us therefore that the train operators
will continue to enjoy booming trade throughout the rest of the
current holiday season, in spite of Tuesday's fatal crashes.
As long as business is booming, the government and the railway
authorities are under no commercial pressure to do anything about
passenger safety. Passengers take the train at their own risk.
With the risk of fatal accidents now rising, such an attitude is
tantamount to sending people on a train of death. We are no
longer talking about neglect on the part of the government. We
are now talking about manslaughter.
Accidents happen for sure. Most people could accept one or two
train accidents. Whatever the causes given, human or technical
error, train accidents do occur even in the most advanced nations
like the United States, Japan and the UK. But over there, the
authorities are held accountable for every major accident, and
for the death of passengers. Heads would roll, or those
responsible would voluntarily resign to take the rap.
In Indonesia, no one is held accountable. No one is fired,
except the errant drivers or signalmen. And nobody resigns, as
some say it is a very un-Indonesian act to walk away from
problems. (One transportation official who resigned last year was
approaching his mandatory retirement age anyway, so he does not
count).
Precisely because no one is held accountable or no one feels
accountable, errors are compounded instead of being rectified
after each accident. This is sheer incompetence, which
unfortunately put people's lives in grave danger because
accidents are occurring with greater frequency.
How many more accidents and fatalities will it take before the
authorities get their act together? Perhaps Minister Agum Gumelar
would care to answer that one.