Bus Company Director Named Suspect in Fatal Crash, YLKI Welcomes Police Action
The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) has welcomed the naming of Ahmad Warsito, President Director of PT Cahaya Pariwisata Transportasi, as a suspect in connection with a bus crash that killed 16 people in Krapyak, Semarang, Central Java. YLKI maintains that company executives must be held accountable for negligence in bus operations.
“YLKI appreciates the law enforcement authorities for naming a company executive as a suspect. It is entirely fitting that the company executive should answer for his actions over the alleged negligence in bus operations,” said YLKI Executive Secretary Rio Priambodo to reporters on Wednesday (18 February 2026).
YLKI has urged PT Cahaya Pariwisata Transportasi to take both moral and material responsibility towards the victims. The foundation also stressed that surviving victims should receive psychological support.
“YLKI urges the company to take responsibility, both morally and materially, towards the crash victims. Psychological support must also be provided to any survivors among the victims and passengers,” said Rio.
Rio said the accident must serve as a wake-up call for the government to evaluate its oversight of transport management. He noted that roadworthy standards are still being flouted, with unfit buses continuing to operate on the roads.
“This accident is a severe blow to the government, compelling it to evaluate its oversight of transport management. The fact that buses unfit for the road can still operate represents a lapse in government supervision of bus operators,” he said.
Furthermore, Rio called for a comprehensive overhaul of government safety oversight of bus operators, particularly given the approaching 2026 Lebaran mudik (homecoming) season, during which bus roadworthiness standards must be at their highest.
“A comprehensive overhaul of government safety oversight of bus operators is needed in anticipation of preparations for the 2026 mudik season,” he said.
Ahmad Warsito was previously named as a suspect in the fatal crash involving PO Cahaya Trans on the Krapyak Toll Road, which killed 16 people. Warsito failed to carry out his supervisory function over the operations of PT Cahaya Wisata Transportasi.
Warsito was also aware that the bus operating the Bogor–Yogyakarta route did not possess a route permit or supervision card (KPS), yet still authorised it to continue operating.
“The Bogor–Yogyakarta route has been operating since 2022, but to this day there is no route permit, and no documents relating to the processing of a route permit have been found. PT Cahaya Wisata Transportasi has therefore been operating the Bogor–Yogyakarta route illegally since 2022,” said Semarang Metropolitan Police Chief Commissioner M Syahduddi during a press conference.
Additionally, Warsito failed to provide proper driver training. The bus driver was only trained to park the vehicle in the depot before being immediately ordered to transport passengers to Yogyakarta.
“[Warsito] did not implement safety standard operating procedures by failing to equip each passenger seat with seatbelts in accordance with Minister of Transport Regulation Number 74 of 2021 concerning motor vehicle safety equipment,” Syahduddi continued.
Warsito has been charged under the new Criminal Code, specifically Article 474 paragraph 3 of Law Number 1 of 2023, which reads: “Any person whose negligence results in the death of another person shall be liable to a maximum imprisonment of five years or a maximum fine of category V.”
The fatal PO Cahaya Trans bus crash occurred on the Krapyak Toll Road, Semarang, Central Java, in December 2025, killing 16 people.
The Cahaya Trans bus driver, Gilang, has also been named as a suspect in the fatal crash. Gilang was additionally named as a suspect for possessing a forged driving licence.
Investigators developing the case have revealed that other perpetrators were involved in producing the forgery, namely Herry Soekirman (HS) and Mustafa Kamal (MK). Both were named as suspects on 15 February 2026 under Article 392 paragraph 1: “Any person who commits forgery of an authentic document.”