The Jakarta Transportation Council (DTKJ) urged the city’s bus rapid transit company TransJakarta to establish a specialised directorate responsible for safety aspects to improve the company’s safety records following several accidents in mid-2021.
DTKJ chairperson Haris Muhammadun remarked that the establishment of a transport safety directorate is one of the several safety improvement recommendations suggested by the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) that recently concluded their safety audit to TransJakarta.
“We encourage the TransJakarta management to execute the first KNKT recommendation of establishing a transport safety directorate or a specialised department for such purposes. We must prioritise this agenda in 2022,” Muhammadun noted at a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday.
The new department will be responsible for safety assurance and risk management aspects pertaining to the daily operations of buses to ensure the safety of TransJakarta passengers and crews, he affirmed.
Meanwhile, DTKJ’s roadworthiness and safety commission chairperson Prayudi noted that the transport authority had suggested each TransJakarta operator to also establish a transport safety division.
DTKJ also urged TransJakarta’s seven bus operators to conduct routine health checks on bus drivers to prevent possible fatal health issues, such as heart attack, that may endanger passengers and cause bus accidents, he remarked.
He drew attention to a case of sudden driver death due to epilepsy discovered during the safety audit process.
“Bus operators must be attentive regarding their drivers’ health. They must organise routine medical check-ups for the drivers, either every six months or annually,” Prayudi noted.
Apart from work time issues, the transport authority also suggested TransJakarta to provide lodging facilities to accommodate early-shift bus drivers and ensure they get sufficient rest time.
The audit also discovered several bus drivers, whose morning shift begin at 4 a.m. local time, might suffer from a lack of rest, as they must depart from their homes earlier before their shift began, he added.
Source: Antara News