Video: 8,400 tonne railway bridge moved into place overnight

DutchNews, May 7, 2016

Photo: Rijkswaterstaat

A massive operation to place 255 metre long railway bridge over the A1 motorway near Muiderberg has been completed three hours ahead of schedule, the transport ministry said on Saturday. 

The 8,400 tonne bridge had to be moved 400 metres from the location where it had been assembled to the correct site over the highway. The A1 was closed at 20.00 hours on Friday night to enable the work to take place and reopened at 09.00 on Saturday morning. 

The bridge was put in place by 03.00 but then had to be adjusted millimeter by millimeter to make sure everything joined up. 

Transport ministry spokesman Henk Voerman said the entire operation had proceeded smoothly. ‘It was really imposing to watch, particularly from close up when those enormous wheels began to move,’ he told RTL news. 

Work will now continue on the bridge and it will be opened in August when the old railway bridge will be demolished.

Time lapse of the entire operation

Three die in Borneo as suspension bridge collapses

BBC News, 26 November 2011 

The bridge was reported to be the
longest in Borneo

At least three people have died and 17 others have been injured after a bridge collapsed on Indonesia's Borneo island.

A bus, cars and motorcycles plunged from the bridge, which connects Tenggarong and Tenggarong Seberang town, into the Mahakam River below.

The bridge, 720m long and completed in 2002, is reported to be the longest suspension bridge in Borneo.

Witnesses described survivors screaming as they swam to the shore after the bridge gave way.

Many of the injured were reported to be suffering from head wounds.

Rescuers found the bodies of three men who had apparently drowned in the river, while 17 others were taken to Parekesit hospital in Tenggarong, the capital of Kutai Kertanegara district.

The bridge was built to resemble San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. The cause of the collapse was not immediately clear.

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Cilincing bridge collapsed, route changed

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 01/03/2009 9:45 AM  

The City Police’s Traffic Management Center changed Saturday a traffic route of Cakung-Marunda of North Jakarta following a collapse of Cilincing bridge channeling both destinations.   

Kompas.com has reported that the police were redirecting four-wheeled vehicles that wishing to reach Marunda via Cilincing, to instead pass through Jln. Cakung-Pondok Bekasi. 

“Due to the accident, only two-wheeled vehicles that can cross the area. Other modes of transportation, like cars and trucks, are forced to swift the route,” one of the police said. (ewd)

Ciputat overpass prone to accidents

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Ciputat,Tangerang 

Police say the newly built Ciputat overpass in Tangerang will be prone to traffic accidents during the wet season due to its shap which curves over a raised, steep and slippery surface. 

Such conditions are worsened with an almost invisible placement of traffic signs heading toward the overpass, that motorists can hardly read. 

"Since the overpass was opened in August, we have recorded 18 traffic accidents on it. Two victims died instantly on the spot, while 16 others suffered serious injuries," Ciputat sub-precinct police chief Insp. Ngisa Asngari told journalists on Tuesday. 

To prevent the rate of accidents from climbing, police installed warning signs telling motorists to reduce speed to a maximum of 30 kilometers per hour. 

Ngisa said many motorists heading toward the overpass accelerated as fast as they could, but then lost control of their motorcycles on reaching the steep turn. "Look at the flower pots on the median strip at the corner. Most of them were damaged because they were hit by motorists," Ngisa said. 

Tangerang Transportation Agency head Deden Sugandhi said all accidents that had occurred on the overpass were independent incidents. 

"Motorcycles or cars frequently hit the road separator at the turn," Deden said. 

"In cooperation with the police, we will soon install 'shock lines' (garis kejut) on the overpass so that motorist will be more careful," he said.(ewd)

Govt speeds up $10b Java Sumatra bridge

Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 05/09/2008 9:38 AM

The government is slated to begin construction next year of the country's longest and most expensive bridge, linking Sumatra and Java islands, a year ahead of schedule.

Lampung Governor Sjachroedin Z.P. said Thursday the government would start work on the 29 kilometer bridge across the Sunda strait early in a bid to boost economic activities in Sumatra.

The bridge, connecting Bakauheni in Lampung with Merak in Banten, will cost about US$10 billion over the next 15 years, Sjachroedin said.

"All the governors in Sumatra want the development to begin soon and they expect it won't burden the government financially," he said, adding the bridge was expected to be operational by 2025.

Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto said the construction costs would be shouldered mainly by private investors, with the central government financing only 5 percent of the project.

"We will attract investors to finance the bridge development by offering them incentives," he said. (rff)

Milestone under ADB Financed Roads Project Reached

Asian Development Bank

Banda Aceh, INDONESIA – On Wednesday 5 March 2008, officials from BRR, the Indonesian government’s agency responsible for post-tsunami and earthquake rehabilitation and reconstruction of Aceh and Nias, the Banda Aceh city government as well as from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) witnessed the placement of a beam of the Laguna Bridge, an important milestone under the ongoing project for the reconstruction of the roads linking the port area at Ulee Lheue to the city center of Banda Aceh, the provincial capital of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD), and to the Aceh West Coast Road.

“This project is the crown jewel of the reconstruction projects in Banda Aceh,” says Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, Head of BRR. “I’m eager to see its successful completion in November this year.”

The mayor of Banda Aceh, Mawardi Nurdin, says, “We’d like to give great thanks to ADB for its many contributions to Banda Aceh, such as this road, the many houses rebuilt as well as other public facilities.”

The road project serves the Meuraxa communities as well as providing access to the ports serving the Banda Aceh fishing industry and the ferry service to Sabang on Pulau Weh, which is a well-know tourist destination and has the potential to become a regional deep sea water port.

The December 2004 earthquake and tsunami caused widespread damage to the residential and commercial areas as well as infrastructure and roads in the Ulee Lheue - Meuraxa area. In addition, ground levels were distorted with some places subsiding more than one meter causing much of what was formerly dry land to be submerged, with other areas being higher than previously.

Read whole story ...

Indonesia's Bukit Asam in $1.8 bln coal transport project

Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:07am EST

JAKARTA, Feb 29 (Reuters) - Indonesian coal miner PT Tambang Batubara Bukit Asam Tbk PTBA.JK said on Friday it plans to improve coal deliveries with new infrastructure projects worth a combined $1.8 billion.

Ageing infrastructure has hampered Bukit Asam's ability to deliver coal to its customers, who include the state electricity firm.

Bukit Asam -- the smallest of Indonesia's three listed coal miners, with a market value of $2.9 billion -- said it will upgrade the existing railway linking its coal mine in Sumatra to the port, and will build a new railway in the same area.

Sukrisno, president director of Bukit Asam, said the firm plans to form a joint venture with PT Kereta Api Indonesia to upgrade the infrastructure by improving stations, coaches, bridges and tracks.

"PT KA (Kereta Api) and PT BA (Bukit Asam) will work together to improve the infrastructure in a bid to raise the company's annual capacity to transport coal to 20 million tonnes by 2012," Sukrisno told Reuters.

Bukit Asam produced 8.5 million tonnes of coal in 2007 and wants to increase its production to 9.3 million in 2008.

PT Kereta Api could not be reached for comment.

Bukit Asam estimated that upgrading the railway would cost $734 million, and could be funded out of cashflow or using bank loans, Sukrisno said.

The Indonesian coal miner will team up with China Railways Engineering and PT Trans Pacific to build a second railway line and a port in Bandar Lampung, on the southern tip of Sumatra.

The project, worth $1.1 billion, will increase its coal transport capacity by a further 20 million tonnes by 2011, Sukrisno said.

Bukit Asam reported unaudited net profit of 760 billion rupiah ($83.8 million) for 2007, compared to 485.67 billion in 2006. Sales revenue climbed 16 percent to 4.11 trillion rupiah.

Work on the project will start at the end of this year or early next year, Sukrisno said, adding that the firm expects its coal output to reach 50 million tonnes a year in five years' time.

Indonesia is the world's top thermal coal exporter. Coal prices was quoted at $130 a tonne free on board Newcastle port late on Wednesday. Coal prices hit an all-time high of $150 a tonne for a spot deal struck earlier this month.


($1=9,070 rupiah) (Reporting by Mita Valina Liem and Andreas Ismar, editing by Sara Webb)

Bad roads slow Indonesian growth, hurt competitiveness

Novia D. Rulistia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The state of land transportation is not only poor but seems to be getting worse, a seminar revealed, citing a global survey that put Indonesia's ranking in a worse position this year than last year.

Bambang Susantono, deputy to the coordinating minister for the economy for infrastructure and regional development, said Tuesday that Indonesia was ranked 91 among 131 countries surveyed by the World Economic Forum in the transportation infrastructure area.

Indonesia was 89th last year.

Bambang said the infrastructure sector was eroding the country's economic competitiveness.

"From the aspect of competitiveness itself Indonesia ranks 54th out of 131 countries."

Bambang said problems often occurred such as bottleneck and delays in logistics deliveries along Java's northern coastal highway.

"Such conditions create logistical obstacles which are hampering the country's economic growth and diminishing our competitiveness index even further," he told the seminar on Indonesia's state of transportation.

Therefore, Bambang said, the government planned to speed up road infrastructure projects to help solve bottleneck problems in the country's main trading lanes by increasing the infrastructure budget.

"To help solve the problem, we will first focus on creating better access in certain areas which support the economy, like the eastern parts of Sumatra, Kalimantan and Java's northern coastal highways," he said.

Also, the government will focus on improvements in industrial areas, such as in Cikarang, West Java, and Jababeka, as well as the construction of toll roads from Cibitung to Tanjung Priok ports.

To do that, the government has increased budget allocations for infrastructure projects in the past several years, Bambang added.

In 2005, the government allocated Rp 20.9 trillion for infrastructure, of which Rp 8.9 trillion was set aside for transportation.

This year, the infrastructure budget allocation has reached Rp 61.9 trillion with Rp 33.8 trillion for transportation.

However the budget for roads management this year is only Rp 18.41 trillion, according to director general for highways at the Public Works Ministry, A. Hermanto Dardak. Only 45 percent of the budget is to be used for road expansion.

The remaining 55 percent, equal to Rp 10.19 trillion, will be used for the preservation of 33.78 kilometers of roads and 27,456 meters of bridges, as well as the improvement of road structures.

The road expansion projects will consist of the construction of 1,800 kilometers of bridges and roads.

"The increase in budget is simply not enough," Bambang said.

"In addition, the budget increase should be balanced by other efforts, like transportation regulations, improving the quality of human resources and the involvement of the private sector."

Flooding cuts off Situbondo-Banyuwangi route

Surabaya, East Java (ANTARA News) - A flash flood destroyed Parengekan bridge in Panarukan village, Sutibondo and cut off the Situbondo-Banyuwangi land route on late Friday.

Due to the road cut off, around 100 trucks were trapped in a congestion in the disaster`s location.

Indonesia is currently in very wet rainy season which has triggered flooding in many areas such as Jakarta, East Java, Central Java, Gorontalo, and West Sumatra.

Floods cause Rp32.7 billion in infrastructure damage in Sukoharjo

Sukoharjo, Central Java (ANTARA News) - Floods in Sukoharjo District, Central Java, have caused infrastructure damage totaling Rp32.7 billion, according to a local official.

The inundations had damaged a number of infrastructure facilities such as roads, bridges, irrigation works, dams and houses, the head of Sukoharjo Public Works Service, Haryanto, said here on Monday.

The floods, triggered by the overflowing of Bengawan Solo River, had inundated a total of 1,887 houses, especially in Grogol, Mojolaban, Polokarto and Sukoharjo town, he said. Four bridges in Bendosari and Polokarto sub districts were also damaged by the deluges.

Ciledug underpass to finish next year

TANGERANG (Jakarta Post) : The construction of an underpass on Jl. H.O.S. Cokroaminoto and an overpass on Jl. Bypass Sudirman will be completed before the scheduled date in May, 2008, an official says.

"These Tangerang-based projects, funded by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), are almost finished. The construction of the overpass is 60 percent complete and the underpass is about 80 percent complete. I think both projects will be finished before the scheduled date in May," the city administration's Public Works Agency director, Engkan Lengkana Ranu, said over the weekend, as quoted by Tempointeraktif news portal.

Lengkana said the Ciledug underpass, which is being built by PT Jaya Konstruksi, would reduce congestion at the intersection between Jl. H.O.S. Cokroaminoto and Jl. Raden Fatah.

"According to the contractor's report, the underpass should be able to open in February, 2008, which will improve access to Jakarta from Tangerang," he said. --JP

Flash floods hit thousands of houses in North Aceh

Banda Aceh (ANTARA News) - Flash floods have inundated thousands of houses in 19 sub districts in North Aceh District, Aceh Province, since Friday, following incessant rains over the past few days.

The flood waters in a number of residential areas in North Aceh reached heights of up to one meter, Bukhari, an official of the Aceh provincial social affairs office, said here on Saturday.

The worst affected areas were Matangkuli and Langkahan where a number of residents were forced to evacuate themselves to safer places reas and schools were closed, he said.

Three bridges in Bukit Linteung, Langkahan sub district, were destroyed by the floods, and tens of inhabitants of Pateng Siribee were forced to flee their homes in boats.

Several villages in Aceh`s eastern coastal areas were also flooded such as Bireuen District, Lhokseumawe, East Aceh and Kuala Simpang.

Floods have affected East Aceh since last Wednesday (Dec. 5) evening.

Flood waters up to one meter high submerged houses in Pantee Bidari, Simpang Jernih, Ranto Peureulak, Julok, Nurussalam, Idi Tunmong, Banda Alam, Darul Aman, Peudawa, Peureulak Barat, Peureulak Timur and Sungai Raya.

However, there were no immediate reports of casualties in the floods.

President calls for feasibility study on Sunda Strait Bridge

Bandar Lampung (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called for the immediate implementation of an in-depth feasibility study on the proposed construction of a bridge over the Sunda Strait to link Java and Sumatra islands.

"A careful feasibility study should be made immediately. If it is possible from the economic and geographic points of view to construct the bridge, we can go ahead with this major development project," the president said at the peak event of a program to mark the 27th World Food Day at Way Halim square here on Wednesday.

The head of state said a bridge linking Java and Sumatra islands would clearly generate great advantages for people at both ends of the bridge.

The economies of people in Java and Sumatra could grow well if the two islands were connected by a bridge, he said.

Therefore, if the feasibility study showed that it was possible to construct the bridge, it should definitely be built for the sake of the economic development of the two islands.

Yudhoyono made the statements in response to Lampung Governor Sjachroedin ZP`s request for the central government`s attention for four major developmental matters in Sumatra, namely the Sunda Strait bridge project, trans-Sumatra highway and railway track projects and energy availability.

Jakarta no friend to pedestrians

The Jakarta Post

A very touching picture one day -- the seemingly mundane view of a new pedestrian bridge linking a busway stop to a multistory market in East Jakarta. It was touching because it was another rare addition to the awareness that you're human, and getting to be recognized as such in this city.

The feeling of being a dignified human in Jakarta, as we all know, is rare and spare. It is the feeling shared by pedestrians on the exceptional sidewalk; until you freeze at the onslaught of approaching motorcycles or wind your way gingerly around potholes.

More common is the sense that it's your own fault you're not a motorist when you're waiting and waiting forever for a chance to cross a busy road; or the sense of despair of mulling the options of taking the sardine-packed train or bus, or drive in dense traffic.

Once abroad in a developed country, the typical Jakartan may spend a moment or two in disbelief when a driver halts and waves to let them actually cross. "Is he really stopping for me?" I thought one day in one such country (I forget which).

When driving in Jakarta we resort to our customary principle of reaching our destination as fast as possible while negotiating pedestrians as if they were annoying obstacles!

The pedestrians are the majority here, yet it seems their voices have been drowned out by ideas of what a livable city should really be. Spending time exploring the malls seems to be the most exciting pastime here; they're educational too, you get to know about the brands and stores people are yapping about.

But surely the metropolitan's elite have been abroad, no less those who ran for the governor's seat in the first ever direct election. Surely they've enjoyed so many other cities and pocketed ideas on improving our metropolitan.

Yet given what our city's like, the impression is they haven't. What do you feel in a city without easy access to clean parks -- a city where for many families the air conditioned malls and huge stores are the nearest, most convenient recreational facilities?

New Zealand's little town of Christchurch prides itself on its vast park areas -- we could dismiss such boasting, saying we couldn't afford all that empty space with our teeming millions.

True, enjoying the sunshine or evenings in parks is free, while the city needs the enclosed spaces for the revenue they contribute.

But the masses would greatly appreciate a governor who tried to alleviate them of some stress. The malls are nice for window-shopping and a sweat-free rendezvous -- until you step out and are once again reminded you're not human when you're without the car or the driver!

That's why anyone would applaud more efforts made to establish a decent mass transportation system, wider pavements and more parks.

For all our lovely buildings, when we must pass mounds of trash, negotiate reckless buses or maneuver the gaping holes on the pedestrian bridges, this Jakartan has only one thought -- how uncivilized those in power here must be.

--Ati Nurbaiti

Infrastructure key to Mamuju's progress

Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar

Mamuju regency is the provincial capital of West Sulawesi, but poor infrastructure means isolation and poverty for people living there.

The regency's airport and port do not meet national standards while the number of roads and bridges is limited, leaving 45 percent of 8,000-square-kilometer Mamuju trailing behind other regencies in terms of development.

While rich in natural resources -- marine-based, mining, farming and forestry -- some 45 percent of the regency's population of 300,000 still live below the poverty line.

Mamuju Regent Suhardi Duka acknowledged that limited infrastructure, in particular a shortage of roads and bridges, was responsible for the high poverty rate in the regency.

He said poor infrastructure prevented village-dwellers in coastal and mountainous areas from selling their products.

Those regions -- reached only on foot or by horse after a journey of several days -- also suffered in terms of education and health care.

"We have determined to prioritize infrastructure development and improve accessibility, so people can leave their isolation," Suhardi told The Jakarta Post in Makassar, South Sulawesi. He said the regency had rich natural resources.

In the marine sector, fish and seaweed is at approximately 60,000 tons annually.

In agriculture, the regency has some 23,00 hectares of rice fields, 60,000 hectares of cacao and some 20,000 hectares under palm oil production, as well as corn and oranges.

In mining, Mamuju has untouched coal, iron and gold resources.

The regency also has some 500,000 hectares of forest -- both productive and protected.

However, poor infrastructure in the regency means that these resources can't be exploited, because residents aren't able to get their products to market.

For example, products marked for export must pass through Makassar, as Mamuju's port and airport are sub-standard.

The regency has allocated Rp 250 billion for a two-year road and bridge construction plan, to begin in 2007.

This year, the regency budget is Rp 450 billion, of which only Rp 14 billion derives from revenue. Low revenue is also blamed on poor infrastructure.

Apart from a lack of roads and bridges, many parts of the regency still don't have electricity.

Even in the city center, only 20 to 30 percent of residents are tied to the grid of state electricity company, Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN). The others are left in the dark.

"We still have to do many things to develop Mamuju, especially since it is a provincial capital.

"It might take five to eight years for the regency to catch up with development progress (elsewhere)," Suhardi said.

While working to improve infrastructure, the regency's administration is also trying to speed up human resource development.

Currently, the regency makes education -- from kindergarten to senior high school -- and health services -- from the community health centers up to grade three hospitals -- available free of charge.

"Better welfare, health services and education are three basic rights of residents that the government has to provide.

"Infrastructure development, as well as free education and health services should be done in an integrated way to reach the goals." -- JP

Indonesia`s record-breaking bridge on shaky foundations

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia has brushed aside fears of graft and disaster to pursue plans to build the world's largest suspension bridge -- in one of the most earthquake-prone areas on earth.

The planned Sunda Strait bridge will cross at least 29 kilometres (18 miles) between the country's two most populous islands, Java and Sumatra, and pass at its closest point a mere 50 kilometres from the still-active Krakatau volcano.

That volcano's famous 1883 eruption killed an estimated 36,000 people, mostly from resulting tsunamis.

The current proposal follows the signing of an agreement between two provinces on opposite sides of the strait at the start of October, and represents the culmination of a 40-year dream of connecting the islands.

The 10-billion-dollar bridge, which is in the "pre-feasiblity" study phase, will pass over three smaller islands and include a single uninterrupted span 2.5 kilometres long.

Professor Wiratman Wangsadinata, whose consultancy is involved in the study, says the planned bridge will be around 200 kilometres from the "subduction zone" where the Australian and Asian plates come together.

Wangsadinata says that records show the maximum earthquake that can occur in the zone is 8.5 on the Richter scale. He says plans will work on the assumption that no higher earthquake can occur in that area as the biggest recorded in the region was 8.0.

The bridge will be safe, he says, but it will require international help to pull off.

"To tell you frankly, maybe our expertise domestically is not enough to solve all the problems associated with this project. So we are going to invite experts from all over the world to participate, to give advice and also active participation in the study, in the design, and later on in the construction," he said.

Pri Hariadi, from the Indonesian Meteorology and Geophysics Agency, thinks Wangsadinata makes the right assumptions, saying: "I believe that (an earthquake) will not pass the 8.5 record."

It will be a long time before the project can be considered safe -- the pre-feasiblity study is scheduled to be completed in 2009 and the feasibility study in 2013 -- but if it does get the green light it will go some way to filling Indonesia's massive infrastructure shortfall.

The Sunda Strait is a key transit point for goods and people between the two islands.

At the moment, around 350,000 people and 25,000 vehicles cross the strait daily in a fleet of between 20 and 30 rusting ferries. The breakdown of only a handful of these ships can cause traffic to snarl for more than a dozen kilometres.

But safety is not the only concern with the plans for the bridge.

Fear of high price tag

The bridge's high price tag -- and the high risk involved in such a long term project -- means there is a possibility the project will fall victim to the kind of cosy financial arrangements that plague business in Indonesia, according to economist and member of Indonesia Corruption Watch, Faisal Basri.

Basri says the head of the construction company currently pushing the bridge, Artha Graha's Tommy Winata, will not go ahead with the project without the involvement of at least some of the nation's big business families.

He says at least one of three big companies -- the Bakrie Group, owned by the family of Coordinating Minister for the People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie, a member of former dictator Suharto's Golkar Party; Bukaka, owned by Vice President and Golkar member Jusuf Kalla; and Bosawa, owned by Kalla's brother-in-law, Aksa Mahmud -- will be let in on the project.

"Tommy Winata of Artha Graha will cooperate with one of them -- no doubt," he said.

Wangsadinata himself is candid about the bridge's ability to attract unsavoury attention. However, he says the fact the project will be done by the private sector -- and funded by foreign investment -- means the risk of corruption will be much lower.

Wangsadinata says dealing with bureaucracy will be the biggest corruption risk. But even with this, he concedes he may not "succeed a hundred percent".

Sunda strait bridge construction to depend on feasibility study

Bandarlampung (ANTARA News) - The realization of the proposed Sunda Strait Bridge (JSS) project will depend on the outcome of a feasibility study, Transportation Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal said on Saturday.

The minister made the statement during an unscheduled visit to Lampung`s Bakauheni ferry port to inspect services for returning holidaymakers at the port.

Asked about the economic value of the bridge, Jusman said it would obviously be calculated in the feasibility study as well.

Earlier, Vice President Jusuf Kalla on behalf of the government had said he supported the project but warned that its economic value should be calculated accurately.

Kalla said the Sunda Strait Bridge project had actually been in a planning stage for a long time but its realization was hampered by technological matters and questions about its economic value.

Meanwhile, State Minister for National Development Planning/Head of the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) Paskah Suzetta said on Wednesday, October 3, that the government fully supported the plan to build the bridge which would link Java and Sumatra islands.

"The government fully supports it. Therefore, the government wants the bridge to be built based on a precise and accurate plan," Paskah Suzetta said.

He made the remarks following the signing of an agreement to conduct a pre-feasibility study on the construction of the bridge scheduled for completion in 2025.

The bridge was expected to ensure smooth transportation of goods and people from Java to Sumatra vice versa and to encourage economic growth on the two islands, he said.

He added that the government would try to find funding sources other than the state budget to finance the project.

"The funding sources may come from a partnership between the government and the private sector. But if that is not possible the project can be funded under a business-to-business scheme," he said.

Organda, weather agency recruited for transportation safety campaign

Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Transportation Ministry says it will include the Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) and the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) in its land and sea transportation safety campaign.

"Our program now involves suppressing the number of transportation accidents over all modes of transportation," said Transportation Minister Jusman S. Djamal on Wednesday.

Speaking to the media after a meeting with House legislators on transportation affairs, Jusman said the ministry would collaborate with Organda in managing land transportation.

"Stricter monitoring of the implementation of transportation regulations will have to be applied. We don't want a bus to endanger the lives of people because it has no brakes or runs with slippery tires," the minister said, referring to a fatal bus accident last Saturday.

The brakes on the speeding bus carrying school children in Cianjur regency, West Java, failed before the vehicle careered off a bridge, killing 16.

"Although it hasn't been reported much in the media, there have been many efforts from (the ministry) to improve land transportation safety. In many areas, we also collaborate with the police," Jusman said.

Efforts to improve land transportation safety have included a focus on qualitative rather than quantitative credentials in selecting shuttle bus operators for routes to and from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

Qualitative criteria for the upcoming airport route tender include the ability to provide good, cheap services to passengers and pass gas emission and vehicle age tests.

Jusman added that monitoring adherence to safety measures by sea transportation operators is easier than for land transportation operators as harbor captains watch over operations at sea.

"To improve sea transportation, we will collaborate with BMG for morning weather warnings. If there are huge waves of about four to six meters high, the agency will report to us in the morning," he said.

Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI) chairman Bambang Susantono told The Jakarta Post that collaboration with other organizations in gathering secondary data was normal practice in foreign governments.

"Data from other sources is important to prevent accidents from occurring," he said.

Bambang said accident prevention, or "active safety measures", can be difficult to orchestrate because they often involve multiple organizations. "The first step to take is to identify possible aspects of accidents before constructing such prevention methods."

The transportation society believes that the long-term goal of active safety should be balanced with short-term passive safety goals. The challenge, according to MTI, is in coordination and organizational management itself.

14 killed in school holiday bus crash

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

At least 14 people, including a two-year-old infant, died when a bus carrying junior high school students on a tour trip plunged into a river in Ciloto village in Cipanas district, West Java, on Saturday.

Forty-eight others were injured in the accident.

The Limas bus was carrying a group from Ar-Ridho junior high school in Jati Mulya, Depok, when the crash occurred in Hanjawar hamlet at around 10:30 a.m.

The students, who were on their school vacation, were on their way to a tour of Cibodas park in Cianjur, West Java.

The bus reportedly collided with a motorcycle and car before falling off the 30-meter-high bridge into the 10-meter-deep river.

According to Cianjur traffic police chief Adj. Comr. Basuki, the accident was caused by a malfunctioning brake on the bus, news website kompas.com reported.

The dead and injured were taken to Cimacan hospital in Cipanas.

Of the 48 people injured in the accident, the 22 who suffered serious injuries were then referred to Hasan Sadikin hospital in Bandung.

At the hospital, some parents were overcome with emotion on seeing their dead and injured children.

Sadih, 38, broke into tears upon seeing her son Denny Septian Hakim, who received head injuries.

But Sadih said she was grateful her son had escaped relatively unharmed. She said she was surprised Denny escaped with his life, after seeing the bus wreck below the bridge, kompas.com reported.

The head of the Ar-Ridho Islamic Education Foundation which runs the school, Anssurullah, said the main priority after the accident was to make sure the injured were removed from overloaded Cimacan hospital.

The accident caused long traffic delays near Puncak before traffic was shifted to alternative routes in the area.

Fallen bridges isolate villages

The Jakarta Post

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: Six flood-hit villages in Ngada regency were still isolated Friday after four bridges connecting other villages collapsed.

The isolated areas are Bela and Wogowela villages in Golews district, and Kotakana, Ua, Aewea and Bela villages in Mauponggo district.

"People have had to wade across rivers. However, if rivers are swollen after heavy rains, no one dares to cross," said Stanislaus Dani, an official at the Ngada Social Office, by phone Friday.

According to Stanislaus, the bridges collapsed after being hit by floods and landslides.

The local road network maintenance unit has deployed heavy machinery to landslide-hit areas to clear earth covering the roads.

Stanislaus said four of the bridges had to be completely rebuilt in order to restore transportation networks from cities to villages.