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