TheJakartaPost
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EDITORIAL: Safety regulations matter
First and foremost, the standard operating procedures for declaring a public bus roadworthy need revisiting.
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Cars line up to enter the Gadog intersection in Puncak, Bogor regency, on Dec. 10, 2016. (Antara/Yulius Satria Wijaya)
T
he same old story resulting from the rampant violation of safety regulations repeats itself, turning a merry trip to the hilly resort area of Puncak in West Java into mourning following the loss of lives in two separate accidents in a week. Based on the police’s early investigation, the tragedies resulted from brake failure, which could, and should, have been detected earlier.
The deaths of 12 people when their bus plunged into a plantation after colliding with a number of vehicles on Monday, and four others in another multiple collision in an earlier accident, are too many, even in a country where compliance with traffic regulations remains low and enforcement of the traffic law is weak.
Blaming drivers who ignore safety rules at will, or their employers, and imprisoning them is easy, but this only amounts to scapegoating, without a comprehensive solution to the entrenched disrespect for traffic regulations.
First and foremost, the standard operating procedures for declaring a public bus roadworthy need revisiting. Reports have it that to secure a vehicle roadworthiness certificate from the transportation authorities, money still talks.
