KAI Palembang Closes 17 Level Crossings In 2024

Kertapati Palembang Train Station, South Sumatra. BETWEEN/Feny Selly

PALEMBANG - PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) Divre III Palembang, South Sumatra (Sumsel), closed 17 level crossings in the company's operational area to continue to improve safety at level crossings.

Public Relations Manager of PT KAI Divre III Palembang Aida Suryanti said that in 2024 her party had closed 17 level crossings.

In accordance with the Regulation of the Minister of Transportation Number 94 of 2018 Article 2, a level crossing that does not have a JPL number, is not guarded, and/or is not gated, which is less than 2 meters wide, must be closed or normalized by the railway line.

"KAI Divre III continues to gradually close the level crossings that do not comply with regulations. The reason is, level crossings are one of the vulnerable points for traffic accidents," he said in Palembang, Antara, Sunday, October 13.

He explained that prior to the implementation of the closure, the KAI team had conducted socialization to the surrounding community. Efforts to close the illegal level crossing are in line with the rules in Law no. 23/2007 concerning Railways, Law no. 22/2009 concerning Road Traffic and Transportation, as well as Regulation of the Minister of Transportation Number 94 of 2018 Articles 5 and 6.

The existence of level crossings in some places passes through residential areas and plantation areas, making it prone to temporary accidents. Based on data from January to August 2024 alone, 16 temperan events have been recorded on the railway and crossing lines. In 2023 there have been 18 temperan events and 26 temperan events in 2022.

There were four impacts of accidents at a railroad crossing, namely the death toll, serious injuries, and minor injuries from officers, passengers, and road users, and damage to train facilities, namely damage to locomotives, trains, and carriages.

Then, damage to train infrastructure; damage to rails, bearings, bridges, and signaling equipment; as well as disturbances to train and service travel; train delays, passenger buildup, diversion to other modes of transportation (overstappen).

"Other efforts made by KAI to improve the safety of level crossings from 2020 to 2024 include socialization of safety by involving relevant stakeholders such as the regional government, TNI/Polri, the Department of Transportation, Jasa Raharja, the Railfans community, and the community, as held on September 19, 2024, were carried out by socialization and campaigns simultaneously, the importance of discipline at field crossings in all daop and divergent areas," he also said.

In addition, KAI also proposes making non-field crossings to the government, namely by building flyovers or underpasses, as well as maintaining and repairing equipment at level crossings.

Currently, in the Palembang Divre III area, there are 110 level crossing points consisting of 39 points of maintained crossings and 71 points of unmaintained crossings.

"We continue to appeal to the public to always increase traffic discipline, especially when at level crossings. The main tool for safety at these crossings is traffic signs. The existence of doorstops and doorkeepers is just a safety aid. So the main solution to avoid traffic accidents at crossings is traffic discipline, "said Aida.