the investment needed for the system, whose installation is expected to start next year, reached Rp1 trillion.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Ministry of Transportation has set itself the target of reducing the number of train accidents by 50 percent in the 2010 - 2014 period, a transportation ministry official said.

"We are drafting a proposal on a national railway system which will adopt the Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system," Director for Railway Safety Affiars of the Ministry of Transportation Hermanto Dwiatmoko said here on Thursday.

He said that the ATP technology had been commonly used by advanced countries in Europe and Japan.

"This technology will enable the train to avoid an accident because with the device the train will automatically stop if the machinist violates the speed limit or signals," Hermanto said.

Hermanto said that the investment needed for the system, whose installation is expected to start next year, reached Rp1 trillion. "The budget for it will be proposed next year while the proposal for its draft and studies will be submitted this year," he added.

The total budget for directorate general of railways this year amounted to Rp4 trillion which did not included the budget for the ATP system.

The devices will be installed in all railway stations and train locomotives operated by state-owned railway firm PT Kereta Api which is responsible for the infrastructure and facilities.

"Priorities will be given to the railways in Jakarta and its buffer towns of Bogor, Tangerang, Bekasi and the Jakarta-Surabaya tracks," Hermanto said.

He said that the number of train accidents in 2010 was recorded at 68 cases.

Hermanto said that the causes of train accidents over the past two years were dominated by human factor, where in 2009 accounted for 27 percent and in 2010 21 percent.

Train accidents which were caused by facility factor in 2009 accounted for 24 percent and 16 percent in 2010 while those which were caused by infrastructure accounted for 13 in 2009 and nine percent in 2010.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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