Indonesia’s woeful road safety under spotlight after fatal bus crash exposes negligence
- An accident that killed 11 people in West Java has prompted calls on the authorities to tighten regulatory oversight and enforcement
- Indonesia’s growing list of fatal bus accidents has led to accusations of official negligence and lenient treatment of transport operators
A tragic bus crash in Indonesia that killed 11 people including several students has put the spotlight on the country’s chronic road safety problems and intensified calls for stringent regulatory oversight and enforcement.
The accident, which also injured 32 people, occurred on Saturday when a bus carrying students on an excursion in the town of Ciater, West Java – 26km southwest of Jakarta – crashed into a sport utility vehicle and three motorcycles.
“I was so shocked to see it on the news. It could have been my daughter on the bus,” said Sri Wahyuni, 36, a resident of Depok.
“I don’t know anyone on the bus but I felt shaken nonetheless,” she said, adding that it made her worry about her teenage daughter’s next school trip.
The students on the bus attended the Lingga Kencana high school in Depok.
The bus, operated by private company Trans Putera Fajar (TPF), reportedly lost control as it was making a turn on a downhill slope and swerved out of its lane and into the other vehicles. The bus was carrying 75 people, comprising students and staff, 10 of whom died instantly in the accident. One motorcyclist was among the fatalities.
