(malangkota.go.id) – To avoid traffic accidents at level crossings, PT KAI Daop 8 Surabaya appeals to the public to be careful and disciplined in obeying traffic regulations when crossing level crossings. PT KAI Daop 8 Surabaya reminds road users who do not obey traffic signs when crossing railroad level crossings that they will be fined up to Rp750.000.
"The regulation has been regulated in Law Number 22 of 2009 concerning Road Traffic (LLAJ). For that, we appeal to all road users to behave in a disciplined manner at level crossings," said Public Relations Manager of PT KAI Daop 8 Surabaya, Suprapto, Tuesday (06/10/2020).
Article 296 states that anyone who drives a motorized vehicle at a railway crossing and a road that does not stop when the signal has sounded, the railway crossing gate has begun to close, and/or there is another signal as referred to in Article 114 letter a shall be punished with imprisonment for a maximum of 3 (three) months or a maximum fine of Rp. 750.000,00 (seven hundred and fifty thousand rupiah).
Meanwhile, Article 114 also states that at level crossings between railway lines and roads, drivers are required to stop when the signal sounds and the railway crossing gates begin to close, and are required to give priority to trains.
Therefore, Suprapto emphasized that when there are signs approaching a level crossing, every road user is required to reduce speed and stop. "Look right and left to make sure there is no train that will pass. If there is a train that will pass, then the driver must give priority to the train," Suprapto emphasized.
This regulation is also in accordance with Law Number 23 of 2007 concerning Railways, Article 124, which states that at level intersections between railway lines and roads, road users are required to give priority to train travel.
PT KAI Daop 8 Surabaya noted that from January to early October 2020, there were 22 accidents at railroad crossings in its area stretching from Bojonegoro - Surabaya - Mojokerto - Sidoarjo - Malang. This can be avoided if all users obey all existing signs and are careful when crossing railroad crossings.
In the PT KAI Daop 8 Surabaya area, there are 563 level crossing points, consisting of 133 points guarded by KAI officers, 32 points guarded by Dishub officers, 30 points in the form of flyovers/underpasses and 368 points that are not guarded.
"We remind you that the barrier, the alarm contained in the device EWS (Early Warning System) and the gatekeepers, all of that is just a security tool. The main tool that must be obeyed by road users when crossing a level crossing is traffic signs. The traffic signs that are vital tools are traffic signs with the words STOP white, hexagonal and red base color," concluded Suprapto. (say/yon)
