It was finally realized after the 78th anniversary of Indonesia’s independence, the operation of fast trains in Indonesia in the ninth year of President Joko Widodo’s administration. This fast train is named KCJB, the Jakarta Bandung fast train which at the time of its construction was named the Indonesia China Fast Train (KCIC) project.
The launch of the KCJB operation accompanies the launch of the Jabodetabek Light Rail Transit (LRT) operation. After the Independence celebrations on August 17, 2023. These two projects follow the success of the previous project named MRT, Massa Rapid Transport which is also a mass public transportation which of course reduces a lot of air pollution and the use of fossil energy – which in general is one of the solutions to the negative predictions of Jakarta as a city with the worst air pollution in the world today.
This opinion does not want to provide criticism that causes public uproar in the mass media, such as the sterilization of railroad tracks with safety walls, long spans, or polemics over the standardization of certification for fast train operations.
However, this opinion is only limited to the discourse from the comfort side of users, namely public users, as applied in developed countries which have prepared medical evaluations when starting to operate new transportation facilities as a mitigation effort against unwanted things happening to transportation during its operational period.
However, humans create multi-layered safety systems for transportation facilities and infrastructure, accidents always happen. Like the Chinese high-speed train in 2011 which fell off a bridge after falling off the tracks near Wenzhou which claimed dozens of victims.
The operation of a transportation mode that moves above the ground (elevated) differs in medical handling from on-grade transportation. ELEVATED transportation must involve security that can hover (fly steadily) above it during the evaluation of the relevant mode. Currently, it is a medical helicopter with special specifications for handling medical Evacuation (medevac) is a popular term, because the use of drones has not been regulated by users in rescuing people on public transportation.
With this medevac helicopter, many things can be handled more quickly during the golden time for rescuing victims. Mainly for ELEVATED transportation lines such as the LRT fast train, as well as the MBZ elevated toll road which stretches 40 kilometers above the ground level of Jakarta – East Karawang. Even the difficult incident of evaluating victims in traffic jams dozens of hours before the Brebes Exit (BreXit) during Eid 2016 has a solution.
To answer the question why air rescue? The answer is that in saving lives, experience shows that the golden time greatly determines the success of human efforts in medical evacuation, which is why speed of treatment is the priority in terms of saving human lives for this mode of transportation, therefore evaluation by air is also a priority.
The Minister of PUPR (Public Works and Public Housing) through Ministerial Regulation Number 28 of 2021 concerning rest areas and services on toll roads has initiated this evaluation rule which is contained in Article 40 paragraphs (1), (2) and (3), Paragraph 2 states “Air Medical Evacuation using air transportation facilities along with health personnel”.
Even though rescue by air for toll roads in Indonesia is currently part of the “and/or” sentence of the article, it would be better if the “or” in the Ministerial Regulation were removed so that rescue by air for paid roads becomes mandatory.
Based on field experience during the operation of the toll road, the PUPR Minister is very reasonable in issuing the regulation in question, five years after the BREXIT incident and two years after the operation of the MBZ flyover toll road. because in developed countries patrols and evacuation are not only for ELEVATED transportation, but also for on grade freeways, referring to the need to save human lives during the golden time period which is the basic requirement for citizens using this transportation.
In Abraham Maslow’s hierarchical theory, which is called A Theory of human motivation regarding human needs which are the basis of motivation to move to try to fulfill these needs, it is also known based on the level of basic social needs which are grouped into five levels where at level one, the most basic level, namely the physiological needs of eating, drinking, oxygen / clean air.
After the first basic level needs are met, then they move up to the second level, namely the need for physical and emotional security. Air rescue efforts in this transportation can be classified as the second basic need in providing a sense of security as per the theory. Therefore, the government’s efforts to protect its citizens through this Ministerial Regulation need to be appreciated.
Judging from the initiation of regulations for medevac helicopters for rescue on toll roads which have started in 2021 through a regulation by the Minister of PUPR, then we are confident that the Minister of Transportation will issue regulations for air evacuation as well in order to protect the operation of three prestigious projects, namely KCJB, LRT and MRT within time. which is coming soon.
Bearing in mind the responsibilities of studies, detailed technical plans, technical specifications, supervisory consultants, oversight committees, demand management, infrastructure providers in LRT (Perpres 98/2015, Prepres 65/2016 and Prepres 55/2018) as well as the operation and regulation of the ELEVATED mode, are on the shoulders of the ministry of transport.
