DPR asks the Ministry of Transportation to investigate the technical disturbance of electric taxis causing a train accident in East Bekasi

JAKARTA - Member of Commission V of the House of Representatives Sofwan Dedy Ardyanto asked the Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) to conduct a thorough investigation into the train accident on the Bekasi Timur Station area track on Monday, April 27 evening. Including about the alleged technical interference of the Vietnamese electric taxi, Green SM, which is said to be the cause of the fatal accident of the KRL towards Cikarang with the Argo Bromo Anggrek long-distance train (KAJJ).

Based on the latest information, as many as 14 female passengers died in the accident. Meanwhile, 84 people were reported to have been injured.

Sofwan also asked all stakeholders to pay full attention to the handling of the victims, especially those who are currently undergoing treatment at the hospital.

"In an emergency situation, there should be no obstacles, including administrative factors. Medical treatment must be the top priority, including ease of financing through insurance," Sofwan told reporters, Tuesday, April 28.

Sofwan also urged the Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) together with the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) to immediately conduct a thorough investigation to uncover the cause of the accident.

He highlighted several important things that must be investigated, including the triggers for the consecutive accidents involving the KRL, taxi vehicles, and Argo Bromo trains. According to him, there needs to be an evaluation of the accident mitigation system, especially at crowded stations that are crossed by commuter trains and long-distance trains.

"It needs to be answered how the monitoring system and field officers failed to detect or anticipate the speed of the Argo Bromo train until it hit the train set that was stopping," said the PDIP legislator.

Sofwan also asked for an investigation into public reports regarding alleged technical disturbances in the electric taxi fleet. According to him, this is important to determine whether the vehicle involved in the incident experienced technical problems until it stopped in the middle of the railway crossing.

If necessary, added Sofwan, the government must conduct a thorough inspection of the related transportation fleet to provide safety assurance to the public.

"All possible causes must be opened transparently as a material for evaluation so that similar incidents do not recur in the future," he concluded.