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Alleviating traffic congestion one railway crossing at a time
In March, the Jakarta administration planned to build five flyovers at five railway crossings in the city, which will cost an estimated Rp 250 billion (US$17.73 million).
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A resident manages traffic at a level crossing in Rawa Buaya, West Jakarta, on Wednesday, as a train approaches. Some railway crossings in the capital do not have proper barriers and pose a danger to motorists. (The Jakarta Post/David Caessarre)
L
ong lines of vehicles waiting for a train to pass by at a level crossing is a common sight in Jakarta. Unfortunately, some Jakartans for one reason or another are not that patient when it comes to waiting for the train to pass, which costs them dearly: with their life.
Train operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia Operational Region 1 Jakarta recorded 43 accidents at level crossings up to October 2018.
As part of its plan to improve road safety and alleviate traffic congestion in Greater Jakarta, the Transportation Ministry’s Greater Jakarta Transportation Agency (BPTJ) is planning to eliminate level crossings in Greater Jakarta.
The plan will start with an underpass project on Jl. Raya Bojong Gede in Bogor regency, West Java.
“All crossings should be on separate levels, be it an underpass or a flyover. If none of these are possible, then [the crossing] should be closed,” BPTJ director of facility Edi Nursalam recently said.
Law No. 23/2007 and Government Regulation No. 6/2017 regulate that railway tracks and roads should not be on the same level. For Greater Jakarta, such a provision is also stated in Presidential Regulation No. 55/2018 on the 2019-2029 Greater Jakarta Transportation System Blueprint.
He went on to explain that constructing flyovers or underpasses to eliminate level crossings was the responsibility of the local government. However, should they have limited resources to do so, they can ask for support from the central government.
