ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS often occur on road sections that cross at level with railway lines (level crossings) which are categorized as accident-prone areas. One of the real steps taken by the government in an effort to reduce the fatality rate due to traffic accidents is by issuing a legal umbrella that regulates technical, operational, and safety standard aspects.
“In line with the commitment to improving safety, the government has issued Presidential Regulation Number 1 of 2022 concerning the National General Plan for Traffic and Road Transportation Safety or better known as RUNK LLAJ with the Five Pillars of Safety approach, namely a safe system, safe roads, safe vehicles, safe road users, and handling of accident victims,” said Secretary of the Transportation Policy Agency (Baketrans) of the Ministry of Transportation, Capt. Avirianto Suratno.
In 2024, the Transportation Policy Agency will draft a Regulation on Road Equipment Standards Between Road Sections and Railway Tracks. This regulation will improve the rules related to road equipment standards by considering vehicle traffic frequency and train traffic frequency. The scope of this ministerial regulation will include standards and criteria for road equipment at level crossings, the provision of road equipment at level crossings, traffic procedures at level crossings, and sanctions for level crossing violations.
Head of Legal, Cooperation, and Public Relations of Baketrans, Israfulhayat, explained that the standards and criteria for equipment include the type, shape, and size of road equipment at level crossings and the criteria for installing road equipment at level crossings between road sections and railway lines. The organizers of road equipment at level crossings between road sections and railway lines are carried out by the central government, regional governments, and related legal entities. As for traffic procedures at level crossings, traffic procedures for vehicles and traffic procedures for pedestrians will be regulated.
Meanwhile, Vice President of Security and Administration of PT KAI, Duhuri Kurniawan, said that data from 2020 to June 2024 showed that there were 1,353 traffic accidents at level crossings. It is known that 83% of train accidents occur at unguarded crossing locations. This shows that accidents at level crossings do require special attention.
“We also often make efforts to minimize accidents at level crossings through safety socialization in collaboration with the Transportation Agency, Railfans, and the community, closing illegal and vulnerable level crossings, installing warning banners at vulnerable crossings throughout the Daop and Divre areas, and controlling illegal buildings in the ROW environment to support train travel safety,” said Duhuri. (Z-2)
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