REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Indonesian Consumers Institution (YLKI) has urged the Ministry of Transportation to review safety standards and licensing of ferries operating in the country. "If ferries operating in Jakarta can meet with an accident like this (catch fire), what about those operating outside Jakarta?" YLKI Chairman Tulus Abadi said in a press statement made available to Antara here on Monday.

Tulus also called on the Jakarta regional government to consider the incident as the consequence of inadequate public transportation services. Tulus argued that the Zahro Express ferry fire that killed at least 23 passengers in the Thousand Islands waters, North Jakarta, on Sunday only reflected the tip of the iceberg phenomenon of the 'taxi boat' that has been operating for tens of years in the Thousand Islands. "Now, tens of or even hundreds of taxi boats are operating without clear security and safety standards as well as adequate supervision."

In term of availability of transportation, he said that if the accident was partly due to lack of ferries, the mishap reflected the Jakarta government's failure in providing adequate public transportation means for travelling between Jakarta and Thousand Islands.

The Jakarta Transportation Service does not provide adequate means of public transportation to cater the mobility of the Thousand Islands residents. What is available is a large number of taxi boats with minimum safety standards, managed by individuals (not by a corporate body).

The owner of the taxi ferries are only grouped as a cooperative, just like the mikrolet minibus cooperatives, while the Ministry of Transportation has the responsibility of certifying them and supervising their operations.

The Transportation Ministry plans to implement a ferry service to Thousand Islands using vessels owned by state-owned ship operators PT Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia (Pelni) and ASDP Indonesia Ferry in response to the accident involving the KM Zahro Express.

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said while it was awaiting the National Transportation Safety Commission (KNKT) report on the incident, the ministry will take action to prevent similar incidents from happening in future.

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