Padang - Balai Teknik Perkeretaapian (BTP) Kelas II Padang, in cooperation with the Railway Safety Directorate of the Ministry of Transportation and other stakeholders, held a pre-Eid railway safety promotion and awareness campaign at a railway crossing under the theme "Safety Culture is a Shared Responsibility".

This activity, which took place at JPL No. 17 KM 15+840 (in front of Aroma Kitchen, Tabing, Padang City), was organised as part of the preparations for the 2024 Eid traffic season. The aim of the campaign is to raise public awareness about personal safety and to ensure that everyone remains safe at level crossings.

"We urge the public in West Sumatra and everywhere else, through this simultaneous safety promotion campaign conducted in all regions of the Directorate General of Railways, to always exercise caution when driving or walking near railway crossings. This can be done by following the Berteman principle, which means stop, look left and right and make sure it is safe before crossing," said Hengki Angkasawan, Director of Railway Safety.

BTP Padang chief Endang Setiawan also stressed that the campaign was particularly necessary in West Sumatra, where the number of accidents at level crossings remains high despite the relatively short railway lines compared to some areas of Java.

"The public needs to get into the habit of obeying traffic rules and exercising patience, taking just a few seconds to stop, look left and right, and then proceed. We can all see on the ground that many accidents happen because of the negligence of road users, even though the trains are already on their designated tracks," he explained.

"We have improved the safety infrastructure of the railways, but this must be accompanied by greater public awareness of the need to comply with the existing rules. All these improvements will be in vain if the public itself is indifferent to its own safety," he added.

At the same event, the Head of the West Sumatra Department of Transportation, represented by Marten Yunus, Secretary of the Department of Transportation (Dishub) of West Sumatra, expressed support for the initiative. He highlighted that the campaign would help all road users exercise caution at level crossings, thus reducing the number of accidents in West Sumatra.

“Three areas in West Sumatra—Padang City, Padang Pariaman Regency, and Pariaman City—are served by three trains, each with fixed schedules. The railway lines are not very long, but we hope that people everywhere, no matter where they are from, will become accustomed to the presence of trains and eventually consider them as the main mode of transportation in West Sumatra,” he concluded.

This initiative aims to raise awareness and promote a safety culture around level crossings, ultimately contributing to a reduction in accidents and enhancing the safety of the public.