Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) has warned the ongoing use of old, unsafe aircraft and ships will lead to more accidents.

ITF Indonesia coordinator Hanafi Rustandi slammed the government's transportation policies and oversight, saying the country has become a dumping ground for junked vehicles.

"We will certainly see more fatal accidents on air, sea and land, because most private transportation operators here use old imported vessels which are no longer feasible for operation and have been scrapped in their countries of origin," he told The Jakarta Post prior to a hearing Friday with the transportation commission at the House of Representatives.

The hearing followed the tragedies that recently struck an Adam Air passenger plane and a PT Vista ferry. The Boeing 737-400 aircraft went missing with 102 people aboard on New Year's Eve before arriving in Manado, North Sulawesi, from the East Java capital of Surabaya. The Senopati Nusantara ferry sank in the Java Sea with more then 600 aboard on a voyage from Semarang to Kumai, East Kalimantan, on Dec. 29. Some 250 ferry passengers are known to have survived.

Hanafi said besides allowing operators to bring in superannuated aircraft and ships from other countries, the government has permitted scrapped cars, buses and wagons to be imported from Singapore and Japan. These have become killing machines, he argued, since they are operated solely to make a profit, without taking passengers' safety into consideration.

"The ill-fated Adam Air aircraft was made in 1990, while the ferry was bought by Indonesia in 1978 and modified into a ferry in 2003, and both are no longer fit for operation. According to safety regulations, old aircraft and ships are required to undergo regular checks and overhauls but in reality, the government has been too lax in supervising their operation," he said.

Airliners and shipping companies have been involved in a fierce battle to provide the cheapest and fastest transportation, and critics say they ignore safety regulations.

Meanwhile, the transportation commission has joined forces with the ITF to press the government to enforce transportation laws and raise standards to reduce accidents.

"The transportation system must be accredited in accordance with international transportation standards, and the operation of old aircraft and ships will be limited," the transportation commission's chairman Ahmad Muqowwam said during the hearing.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has also asked Indonesia to give a comprehensive report on the results of its investigation into the sea accident to ensure international confidence in its national shipping safety.

The House commission suggested airliners be allowed to operate only aircraft less than 15 years old that undergo regular checks and overhauls after every 1,000 flying hours. Only ships aging up to 25 years old would be allowed to operate, and old ones would have to undergo routine body and engine checks at an approved shipyard.

In the latest development, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has issued a decree on the formation of a national team to evaluate domestic transportation safety and security, a spokesman said Friday.

"The decree was issued in view of the increasing frequency of transportation accidents over the past five years which is causing anxiety and unrest among the people," presidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng said.

The team is to be led by former Air Force chief Chappy Hakim, with former transportation minister Budi Mulyawan Suyitno as his deputy and Rear Adm. (ret) Yayun Riyanto as secretary.