'We have to revive street car system'

Four people were killed and 600 others injured when a passenger train rammed into another train in South Jakarta last week. Investigators are trying to determine whether the accident was caused by a mechanical problem, a faulty railway system or human error. The Jakarta Post spoke with residents for their thoughts on the accident and how to prevent future mishaps.

Adeza Hamzah, 27, works as a public relations consultant at Maverick PR Consultancy in South Jakarta.

The security system at state railway company PT KAI is obsolete compared to those in other countries such as Australia, where such accidents almost never happen.

The train crash might have been due to an obsolete railway system or simple human error.

Our railway system is inadequate. In Australia, railway tracks are located either underground or in designated areas where other vehicles cannot pass through.

So the system itself needs to be improved; at least PT KAI needs to improve the quality of its human resources.

They need to be more precise in doing their job, otherwise anything could happen.

Putu Prama, is a 25-year-old postgraduate student in Jakarta.

Indonesia still has a lot to deal with in its public transportation system, especially railway transportation. Most of our railways were built during the Dutch colonial era and, as we know, they are poorly maintained.

The trains themselves are often found to have minor or major problems, from communications to mechanical. It is a problem of a lack of funds for maintenance. I think PT KAI needs more support from the government.

For commuters, maybe we have to revive the old streetcar n Jatinegara whose tracks still exist beneath the road's asphalt. It could really help ease traffic in the city.

I also think we do not have a good emergency response system for dealing with the train accidents that occur quite often. A good response system could help lessen the number of casualties.

The Jakarta Post