Passengers rail against PT KA

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 11/03/2006 11:31 AM | Jakarta

Anissa S. Febrina, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

If you happened to forget your headphones and sat through the loud conversation among daily commuters on one of the city's morning trains, you would probably hear mention of ""the class action against state rail company PT Kereta Api"".

It seems unlikely anyone will actually undertake legal action, but random train conversations suggest passengers are distressed and angered by the health and safety blunders allegedly made by rail staff.

Passengers on the Serpong-Manggarai executive train Wednesday, for example, were left to their own devices when a power problem caused the train to grind to a halt just before Tanah Abang station.

""I knew something was wrong when the train slowed down,"" said passenger Maharani Ratnadewi.

""Around 300 meters from Tanah Abang, the train stopped. We were left inside with no word about what was going on,"" said the woman who had been riding in the front carriage.

""The machinist just sat outside, like he didn't know what to do, while, inside, our anxiety grew.""

Later on, passengers from rear carriages starting pushing their way through into the front carriage, believing the guard had opened the door.

""We forced the door open on our own and soon after people started jumping from the train,"" Rani said. ""We walked to Tanah Abang station but, when we got there, there was no explanation or words of apology from PT KA.""

A number of passengers sustained bruises and sprains after making the one-meter jump from the carriage to the ground.

Akhmad Sujadi, the rail company's spokesman for Greater Jakarta and West Java, said the incident was caused by an overhead power line problem.

""Much like when the power supply drops at home and one of your light bulbs explodes,"" he said. ""The train was already near Tanah Abang station anyway. It was OK.""

Only not for the passengers.

""Imagine being left in uncertainty -- you knew something was wrong, but none of the rail staff were giving out information,"" Rani said.

""People's lives are at risk,"" she added.

As an established company, PT KA has a system and procedures for emergencies.

""The officials on duty are responsible for informing the passengers and telling them not to panic,"" Sujadi said.

However, the reality is different.

If an emergency requires evacuation, it is often done slowly and without direction.

When two carriages of the Parahyangan train in Karawang, West Java, derailed, for example, passengers were stranded for a number of hours before PT KA transported them by bus to their destination.

In the case of the Serpong-Manggarai train, passengers had to evacuate themselves.

While the first lot of passengers were compensated for any inconvenience caused to them, the latter did not even get an apology.

Indonesian Consumer Foundation head Tulus Abadi said transportation operators were required by consumer law to give passengers their money back in the event of an accident.

""It is compensation for their failure to ensure safety, security and comfort,"" he said.

""Furthermore, PT KA is supposed to provide alternative means to get the passengers to their destination or the nearest station.""

Tulus said the YLKI was also concerned about PT KA's low maintenance budget.

""We have analyzed their budget and determine they are 50 percent technically reliable. This means there is a greater risk of accidents,"" he said.

Typical of state transportation companies, PT KA puts the growing number of rail accidents here down to financial problems.

""The yearly subsidy we receive to support public service always comes in late,"" Sujadi said in a previous interview. ""We also admit to some internal management and operational problems.""

PT KA receives an annual subsidy from the government of Rp 140 billion on average and reports an income of around Rp 2.2 trillion per year.

The State Audit Agency's 2005 report listed the company's financial condition as healthy.

With all the facts at hand, is better service really too much to ask for?

Comments (0) | Post comment

A | A | A |