The Desire Of The KNKT To Change Into A National Safety Agency

JAKARTA - The National Transportation Committee (KNKT) no longer wants to be under the Ministry of Transportation. The head of the NTSC, Soerjanto Tjahjono, suggested that this organization should become independent and become a national safety body.

"This is what we propose in the future if the KNKT can become a national safety body where (in charge of) transportation safety such as the current KNKT. Construction safety and industrial safety," said Soerjanto in a joint meeting with Commission V of the DPR at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Monday, 25 November.

According to Soerjanto, the concept of investigation from the safety agency is also needed for construction and industrial accidents. Soerjanto gave an example of the Safety Agency in the Netherlands, namely the Dutch Safety Board, which carried out investigations in these three areas.

"The concept of safety investigations to find causes based on the principles of no blame, no judicial, and no liability by an independent organization is deemed necessary for both construction and industrial accidents," said Soerjanto.

Responding to the NTSC's desire, the Chairperson of Commission V Lasarus said that in relation to the proposal for organizational change, there was a need for deeper discussion.

"Later, we may need to sit at one table first, sir. If he changes bodies, we need to tie this up with the law, sir. Please, later, we from Commission V have made a prolegnas for the 2019-2024 priority program. The head of the NTSC, because of the work of this agency, I see it has widened according to the proposal, "he said.

Lasarus assessed that the proposed change of bodies in the NTSC organization covers not only transportation safety but also construction and industrial safety outside the main duties of the NTSC so far.

"If this is the case, then please go ahead and take initiative from the government. Of course we will be ready to have further discussions related to the change of the NTSC into a national safety body," he explained.

Meeting with KNKT with Commission V DPR (Mery Handayani / VOI)

Meanwhile, a member of Commission V from the Democratic faction, Irwan, said that the KNKT should have turned into a national safety body. This is because when the KNKT became the executor, it did not only issue recommendations.

"Must. It's good to be a body. First, their technical authority will also increase. Then from the budget side for studies it can increase," he said.

However, according to Irwan, the most important thing is that there can be enforcement. One of them is law enforcement. So it is not only recommendations from the results of the investigation.

"Automatically when he became a body he had the authority. Right (so far) the KNKT only took a review of recommendations. If it changes to a body they have the authority to follow up on those studies," he said.

Irwan admitted that he would support the KNKT's desire to become a body in the next meeting. Because, this reflects the number of accidents.