Padang — The Railway Engineering Centre (BTP) Class II Padang, as an extension of the Directorate General of Railways (DJKA), Ministry of Transportation of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemenhub RI), conducted a railway safety education session for the students of SD Negeri 17 Lubuk Alung on Friday 1 March 2024. The aim of this initiative was to instil safety awareness from an early age and to build a strong foundation for young people to maintain safety around level crossings.

"We know that lessons learned at a young age are easier to remember in adulthood. On the other hand, these lessons are often forgotten as adults. Therefore, it is important for us to provide safety education from an early age so that children understand the importance of safety at level crossings," said Endang Setiawan, Head of BTP Padang, who was represented by Aslinawani Sirait, Head of Administration.

Students from grades 1 to 6 participated in the training. As the school is located directly across from railway tracks without any barriers or safety fences, the students were provided with essential materials related to safety at railway crossings. Topics included the definition of a level crossing, safety signs to understand, actions to avoid at crossings, and the importance of following the "Berteman" principle - stop, look left and right, ensure it's safe, then cross.

Aslinawani Sirait also reminded the students not to play near the railway tracks, even though the Lembah Anai train, which connects Bandara Internasional Minangkabau Station and Kayutanam Station, still has to pass through.

"We hope this outreach will have a lasting impact and that these children will remember and apply these safety lessons as they grow older. They will be expected to practice these good habits throughout their lives," added Lina (a nickname for Aslinawani).

In addition to providing education to the students, several pupils were selected as safety ambassadors. They will take on the responsibility of passing on the safety messages to their peers so that the information reaches a wider audience within the school.

At the end of the session, Aslinawani Sirait also urged the school’s teachers to continue guiding the students and remind them to stay away from railway crossings to avoid any accidents involving trains in the future.

(RAH)
Public Relations of Balai Teknik Perkeretaapian Padang