Unnecessary tragedy

Unnecessary tragedy

One person was killed when a Jakarta-Purwakarta train crushed
a truck at the Pisangan Lama railway crossing in East Jakarta on
Wednesday.

The fatal accident would have been avoided if the truck driver
had been patient and not gone around the crossing bar.

Several people were injured and the railway tracks were
blocked by the wreckage of the truck and the locomotive for
hours, causing thousands of people to be late reaching home.

The truck driver and his assistant escaped soon after the
accident.

The driver's ignorance resulted in the death of a train
passenger and large monetary losses. The driver is just an
example of our ignorance.

Many people, mostly motorcyclists, ignore the bar blocking the
road at railway crossings. They cross the tracks after making
sure that the train is still far enough away. This may help them
reach their destinations minutes faster, but they are ignoring
the safety of their own lives and the lives of others. They
should know that a train does not stop immediately after the
driver hits the brakes. A train with several cars usually comes
to a stop 800 meters from the point where the brakes were hit.

Trains cannot move to avoid vehicles on the road. Therefore,
it is the road users who must be careful and patient, especially
at railway crossings.

-- Warta Kota, Jakarta