Faulty Gas Tanks On The Loose

THERE are indications that the explosion of a TransJakarta bus which took place at a refueling station in East Jakarta's Pinang Ranti shelter is being intentionally overlooked. Conclusions by the University of Indonesia's Metallurgical Laboratory said that the bus' gas cylinder had been substandard. Instead of taking the initiative to conduct rigorous checks on the quality of the other TransJakarta bus gas cylinders, the Jakarta Transportation Office, ultimately responsible for the procurement of buses ofor corridors 9 and 10, appears to have washed its hands off the controversy. Korindo Heavy Industry, which supplied the buses, has also done nothing.This in turn raised suspicions, particularly because that explosion nearly a year ago led to the unraveling of the story behind the procurement of these buses. Most of the buses were already produced before the tender actually went out, even as the tender documents specifically stated that the buses would need to be manufactured in stagesfrom the start. Provision of certification on quality for substandard gas cylinders has also come into question.

September 25, 2012