Concrete balls don’t deter ‘naughty passengers’, says station

The “concrete balls innovation” used to scare passengers from sitting on train roofs had not yet proven to be fully effective, as many people were still seen riding on top of trains, Bekasi Station officials said Friday.

“There are still a lot of disobedient passengers,” deputy chief Dwi Effendi said, as quoted by tempo.co.

According to an evaluation conducted by the station, Dwi said that passengers continued to climb onto the train rooftops via its windows after the train had gone past the device which resembled a large pendulum.

Station chief Eman Sulaeman said that state railway firm PT KAI should install additional pendulums to supplement the three existing ones in order for the effort to become more effective.

“If the distances between the pendulums are short, passengers would probably be afraid of riding on the roof,” he said.

PT KAI planned to install three pendulums, which would all be located along the Jakarta-Cikampek track. One pendulum had already been put up at KM 27 of the Bekasi Station. The other two will be installed between the Tambun-Cikarang and Cikarang-Lemahabang stations.

The device, called the Goal Bola-bola (Goal Balls), consists of concrete balls that are hung on a goal-like frame installed at certain points on the railway. The balls, which will be hung to the height of the train, will serve as an obstruction against anything occurring sitting on top of the trains. (awd)