ALS Bus Accident Prompts Call for Ministry of Transport and Public Works to Audit National Roads
JAKARTA - Member of DPR Commission V Rofik Hananto has called on the Ministry of Transport (Kemenhub) and the Ministry of Public Works (PU) to audit national roads that have suffered damage, following the accident involving an Antar Lintas Sumatera (ALS) bus colliding with an oil tanker truck in North Musi Rawas Regency, South Sumatra.
The cause of the accident is suspected to be the ALS bus attempting to avoid a pothole on the road and veering into the opposite lane.
“We urge the Ministry of PU and Kemenhub to immediately take action and conduct a total audit. Do not be satisfied with just paper reports on road stability figures, but also ensure the road’s functional suitability in the field,” Rofik stated in his remarks on Friday (8/5/2026).
“At the same time, audits of public transport fleet safety and compliance with vehicle inspection (KIR) requirements for bus companies must be tightened so that deadly incidents like this do not recur,” he added emphatically.
“In the future, we must no longer be merely reactive in patching damaged roads after lives have been lost. The DPR and the government must collaborate to ensure adequate and sustainable allocation of funds for road maintenance. Therefore, the amount of preservation funds must be strengthened through legal amendments to the Road Traffic Law (UU LLAJ),” Rofik said.
In addition to road repairs, he stressed the importance of legal accountability for road operators to ensure public safety.
“We call on law enforcement agencies to thoroughly investigate potential criminal violations, whether negligence on the part of road operators under Article 273 or negligence on the part of operators and drivers under Articles 286 and 310 of the UU LLAJ,” Rofik stated.
The accident occurred on the Trans-Sumatra Highway in Karang Jaya Subdistrict, North Musi Rawas, on Wednesday (6/5/2026) afternoon.
The high-speed collision between the ALS bus and the tanker truck immediately sparked a fire. As a result of the accident, 16 people were declared dead.
The cause of the collision between the ALS bus and the tanker truck is suspected to be the bus trying to avoid an uneven road pothole.
Fire immediately erupted from the collision, subsequently burning and charring the entire bus and truck.