ALS Bus Tragedy Killing 16 People Prompts Calls for Transport Ministry to Audit Fleet Worthiness
JAKARTA - Deputy Chairman of Commission V of the DPR, Syaiful Huda, has called for an audit following the accident involving the Antar Lintas Sumatera (ALS) bus that collided with an oil tanker truck owned by PT Serelaya in North Musi Rawas Regency, South Sumatra.
The Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) and the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) are urged to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the accident that killed 16 people.
“Sixteen lives were lost in an instant due to the impact that triggered a massive fire. We demand a strict audit of the ALS bus fleet’s worthiness and the readiness of our road drivers. We must not allow citizens’ lives to continue being lost due to negligence in safety standards on the cross routes,” Huda stated in his remarks on Thursday (7/5/2026).
The government is also deemed necessary to tighten supervision regarding the work time management of the ALS bus crew.
“The ALS bus route is one of the longest in Indonesia. The government must ensure that every bus company has strict and digitally monitored work time and rest management for drivers,” Huda said.
“We also request that Kemenhub and the Ministry of Public Works check the worthiness of the infrastructure at the accident site, from road markings, lighting, to warning signs in collision-prone areas,” Huda emphasised.
Previously, an ALS bus collided with an oil tanker truck owned by PT Serelaya in North Musi Rawas Regency, South Sumatra.
The accident occurred on the Trans-Sumatra Highway, 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 attempting to avoid an uneven road pothole.
Fire immediately erupted due to the collision, then quickly burned and charred the entire bus and truck.