The majority of accidents occur at unauthorized crossings, accounting for around 80 percent of cases, involving motorcycles at 55 percent and cars at 45 percent,
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi stated that the government, along with the state-owned railway company, PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI), has closed 172 unauthorized level crossings as a measure to improve train safety.

"We have begun closing 172 unauthorized level crossings," he said after attending a working meeting with Commission V of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) in Jakarta on Thursday (May 21).

The closure of these level crossings is part of an effort to regulate crossings deemed to pose a risk to the safety of road users and railway operations across various regions.

The transportation ministry is also preparing a safety improvement program at level crossings that currently lack adequate security facilities.

Purwagandhi stated there are currently 3,674 level crossings throughout Indonesia, consisting of 2,771 registered crossings and 903 unregistered crossings. Based on the evaluation, 172 crossings were recommended for closure due to their road width being less than 2 meters, and 1,638 priority locations require safety improvements.

"These improvements include the provision of guard personnel, guard posts, supporting facilities, communication equipment, and other safety equipment," the minister explained.

The government aims to accelerate the installation of safety facilities at these crossings to better protect both train passengers and road users. To support the program, the government has allocated approximately Rp800 billion (US$44 million) for the development of safety facilities at railway crossings across the country.

The ministry also recorded 1,058 accidents at level crossings over the past three years.

However, the number of incidents declined from 337 cases in 2024 to 291 in 2025, with 102 incidents recorded as of May 1, 2026. According to Purwagandhi, this indicates that various safety improvement measures are beginning to produce positive results.

“The majority of accidents occur at unauthorized crossings, accounting for around 80 percent of cases, involving motorcycles at 55 percent and cars at 45 percent,” he said.

He emphasized that improving crossing safety requires not only infrastructure upgrades but also stronger public awareness and compliance with traffic regulations near railway lines.

Therefore, the Transportation Ministry will continue educating the public to obey traffic signs and avoid crossing railway tracks when trains are approaching, as trains cannot stop instantly.



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Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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