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Fire catches Transjakarta bus, again
WHERE THERE'S SMOKE: Workers tow the charred Transjakarta bus from Blok M terminal, South Jakarta, on Friday
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WHERE THERE'S SMOKE: Workers tow the charred Transjakarta bus from Blok M terminal, South Jakarta, on Friday. No one was injured in the fire that was reportedly caused by a short circuit. (JP/J. Adiguna)
A Transjakarta bus traveling along Corridor 1 from Kota, Central Jakarta, to Blok M, South Jakarta, caught on fire after the bus engine short circuited.
No casualties were reported. It is the second time a Transjakarta bus has caught ablaze this year.
Fire engulfed the bus owned by PT Jakarta Express Trans (JET) at about 10 a.m., right before it reached the Blok M terminal, said Rene Nunumente from Transjakarta.
"Fortunately, Emi, the bus driver, dropped of all passengers at Gelora Bung Karno bus shelter (two shelters before Blok M)," Rene said.
The city fire agency extinguished the fire about one hour later, Rene said.
"We are now investigating the incident. We will establish a team, comprising officials from Transjakarta, the National Police and city transportation agency," he said.
"This is a lesson for all Transjakarta bus operators to learn: They must routinely monitor and check their buses.
"If the bus is improper or not in good condition, the operator must not operate it anymore," he said, adding that the investigation might take about three days.
Transjakarta head Daryanti Asrining Rini said the bus operator might face sanctions because of the incident.
This is the third incident involving Transjakarta buses since the mass transportation system started operations in 2004.
In February, a fire destroyed a compressed natural gas-powered Transjakarta bus, which was owned by PT Trans Batavia.
The bus was traveling along Corridor 2 of the busway system from Harmoni, Central Jakarta, to Pulo Gadung, East Jakarta, with dozens of passengers on board when the bus caught on fire. No casualties were reported.
Transjakarta officials said the blaze was also caused by a short circuit.
A similar incident occurred last May, involving a CNG-fueled Transjakarta bus being repaired at a bus pool in Pulo Gadung. That fire left four people with serious injuries.
Nurmansjah Lubis, the secretary of City Council Commission B for economic affairs, blamed the poor management of Transjakarta for the incidents.
"Transjakarta should have a control system to assure that the vehicles run well. With a good operating system, fires can be avoided," he said.
Governor Fauzi Bowo is also urging Transjakarta to carry out periodic and careful safety checks on all Transjakarta buses.
"All operators should check the buses right before they leave the bus pools," he said.
