JAKARTA, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's Ministry of Transportation has started closing 172 unauthorized railway level crossings as part of efforts to enhance rail safety and reduce accidents involving road users, Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said on Friday.
Speaking after a parliamentary hearing in Jakarta, Purwagandhi said the closures were carried out in coordination with state-owned railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI).
"We have started closing 172 unauthorized level crossings," he said, adding that the measure targets crossings deemed hazardous to both road traffic and railway operations.
Purwagandhi said the planned improvements include deploying crossing guards, constructing guard posts, installing communication systems and adding other safety facilities. The government has allocated around 800 billion rupiah (44 million U.S. dollars) to accelerate the installation of railway crossing safety infrastructure nationwide.
Data from the ministry showed that more than 1,000 accidents occurred at railway crossings over the past three years. "The majority of accidents occur at unauthorized crossings," Purwagandhi said, adding that motorcycles accounted for around 55 percent of all cases. ■
