Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Sutarman also said parents should not let their children on city streets unsupervised.

“Keep pedestrians off the busway at all times,” Sutarman said on Thursday, adding that pedestrians should use the crossing bridges along TransJakarta busway corridors.

Reluctance to use a crossing bridge led to the death of M. Rizki Firmansyah on Wednesday.

Rizki was trying to cross the street, apparently unaware of an oncoming TransJakarta bus.

Dozens of witnesses sprung into action and mounted a road block of flower pots and yellow paper flags to redirect the flow of the busway to Ragunan in South Jakarta.

Local residents also tried to mob the bus driver before she was taken away by the police.

A 1-kilometer queue of TransJakarta buses formed soon after locals erected the road blocks.

On Thursday, the Jakarta police identified TransJakarta bus driver Merke Lourine Rumengan as a suspect in a reckless driving case.

Merke was hired last month to operate the TransJakarta bus. Police discovered she did not have a license to drive the bus.

“Her recklessness caused death,” head of the Jakarta Police traffic law division Adj. Comr. Sr. Yakub said.

Yakub said she would be charged with violating the Traffic Law, stipulating that all drivers must prioritize the safety of pedestrians. If found guilty, Merke could spend up to five years in prison.

In 2010, 430 traffic accidents involved TransJakarta buses. In 2009, the Jakarta police reported 303.

TransJakarta Corridor 3, connecting Kalideres in West Jakarta and Pasar Baru in Central Jakarta, recorded the most accidents in 2010 with 69 cases. Corridor 8, running from Harmoni in West Jakarta and Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta, logged 67 cases.

Corridor 5, connecting Ancol in North Jakarta and Kampung Melayu in East Jakarta, and Corridor 7, linking Kampung Melayu and Kampung Rambutan, each recorded 64 accidents in 2010.

The safest line in 2010 was Corridor 6, connecting Dukuh Atas in Central Jakarta and Ragunan in South Jakarta, with 36 accidents.

A transportation expert from the University of Indonesia, Tri Tjahyono, suggested the city administration redesign the busway lanes to prevent future accidents.

He added that the TransJakarta operator should first conduct safety audits on all busway lanes.

“The audit is crucial because the outcome could tell what re-engineering needs to be done on the busway design to prevent potential harm,” Tri Tjahyono said.

Tri Tjahyono also called on the city government to provide other means of safe street crossings than just bridges.

“Not all residents can easily access the bridges, which usually have steep stairs. Pregnant women and the disabled need other means of crossing,” he said.

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