Bus Collides with Bus in Sumbawa Due to Illegal Racing Competition in the Middle of Road
A traffic accident involving two intercity buses occurred in the Teluk Santong area, Sumbawa Regency, on Sunday, 15 March 2026 at 03:25 Central Indonesia Time. The incident involved two Tiara Mas bus fleets operating the Mataram-Bima route.
The two buses involved in the collision were Tiara Mas bus registration number EA 7618 E named “Alesha” and Tiara Mas bus registration number EA 7668 A named “KTM Racing”.
According to reports received, the accident occurred when both buses were travelling side by side on a national highway. The bus drivers were forced to make emergency stops after observing a crowd of people in the middle of the road conducting an illegal 100-metre sprint race at night.
Khairul Natanagara, coordinator of Indonesia’s Ombudsman Task Force for the Return Migration Period (Satgas Mudik) representing West Nusa Tenggara, stated that the buses collided whilst avoiding the crowd of people on the road, causing the drivers to perform emergency braking.
“Based on the report, the bus behind was unable to anticipate the situation and a chain collision between the two fleets subsequently occurred,” Khairul said in his statement on Sunday, 15 March 2026.
As a result of the incident, one bus conductor suffered minor injuries from broken glass fragments from the front of the bus. Fortunately, there were no fatalities in the incident.
Due to the accident, traffic conditions at the scene were reported to still be congested. Several bus passengers were also seen still waiting at the scene.
Khairul regarded the incident as a reminder of the importance of preparedness in public transportation services, particularly in emergency situations on highways.
According to him, the regional government through relevant agencies needs to ensure that an easily accessible emergency complaint service system is available for both the public and public transport staff when incidents occur in the field.
“We urge the West Nusa Tenggara Provincial Transportation Office to provide a contact number for complaints that the public can contact when emergency incidents occur on roads,” Khairul said.
With clear communication channels, according to Khairul, the public and bus staff can promptly report field conditions so that handling can be carried out more quickly by relevant agencies.
Additionally, the Ombudsman also encourages strengthening coordination between the Transportation Office, police, and other relevant agencies, especially during the return migration period and when public mobility increases. This way, every incident on a highway can be handled quickly, accurately, and in a coordinated manner.
“We remind the public not to conduct activities on national road stretches, particularly at night, as this can endanger road users’ safety and potentially cause traffic accidents,” Khairul concluded.