BANDUNG - The Ministry of Transportation is currently intensively conducting a collaborative campaign entitled "Let's Be Safe Together" which has been running from March to May. Therefore, the Railways Engineering Office for the West Java Region, which is under the auspices of the Directorate General of Railways, carried out Safety Socialization activities at Railroad Crossings in Cirebon City, Thursday (8/3).

The activity is centered at two crossing locations, namely Jalan Lawanggada Crossing (JPL No.436) and Jalan Slamet Riyadi (JPL No.200).

This socialization is a collaboration between the West Java Regional Railway Engineering Center, the Cirebon City Transportation Service, Cirebon Daop 3 PT KAI (Persero) and the Edan Sepur Railway Lovers Community.

The socialization activity was carried out by unfurling banners and distributing parcels containing masks, t-shirts, hand sanitizers, and pamphlets containing the rules and procedures for driving when crossing level crossings, along with regulations governing motorized vehicle drivers passing by. An appeal was also conveyed through loudspeakers so that road users were always careful and theatrical action from the Edan Sepur Community. In addition, flowers are also distributed. A level crossing is the intersection of a railroad track and a road made on a plot. The number of level crossings along the rail is due to the increased mobility of vehicle users who must cross or intersect directly with the railroad. This also makes level crossings as one of the accident-prone points.

The implementation of this safety socialization had previously been carried out in Purwakarta Regency last February.

The Head of the Traffic Facilities and Safety Section of the West Java Region Railway Engineering Office, Fitri Antara explained that DAOP 2 Bandung and DAOP 3 Cirebon are the scopes of the work area of ??West Java BTP so that as a technical implementing unit under the auspices of the Directorate General of Railways in accordance with PM 94 concerning Improved Railway Safety "The main focus in this outreach activity is to realize the #yuksafebersama collaborative movement campaigned by the Minister of Transportation said Fitri, Fitri hopes that the implementation of this outreach activity is expected to increase awareness and educate road users in driving to comply with regulations when crossing level crossings. and the dangers of violating regulations such as breaking through doorstops and campaigning for the 3M movement (wearing masks, keeping distance, and washing hands) during this pandemic." During this campaign, there were still violations committed by motorists by breaking through the crossing gates, this is proof that public awareness of safety at the crossing is still minimal. The solution to the violations that occurred is to continue to socialize the community as road users, closed Fitri.

The Head of the Cirebon City Transportation Service, Andi Armawan expressed his gratitude for this activity "We express our gratitude and highest appreciation because many accidents occur because of a single-level track, not because of the train's fault because according to the existing law, the train takes precedence over the journey. because many accidents are due to the public's unawareness or lack of awareness of the traffic rules," said Andi Suprapto, Manager of Public Relations DAOP 3 Cirebon PT KAI (Persero) also expressed his gratitude for holding the safety socialization activity this time, "I thank the Balai West Java Region Railway Engineering for its cooperation in organizing socialization of safety at crossings in the DAOP 3 Cirebon area, this is a positive activity where the number of traffic accidents at level crossings in the DAOP 3 Cirebon area in the past 3 (three) years "It's getting worse from year to year. It is hoped that this activity ahead of the month of Ramadan can make Cirebon residents aware of the importance of level crossing discipline, hopefully, we can continue to do this activity in collaboration and we will do it continuously," said Suprapto.

It was also informed that according to Law 22 of 2009 concerning Road Transport Traffic, any motorist who does not stop at a level crossing when the signal has sounded and the gate has been closed will be subject to imprisonment for 3 months or a fine of Rp. 750,000.