Learning from the Multi-Vehicle Collision on the Batang Toll Road: Remember Safe Speed Limits on Toll Roads
A multi-vehicle collision recently occurred on the Pemalang-Batang toll road section at KM 361+600 on the A lane in Batang, Central Java, on Sunday 15 March 2026.
The collision involved a PO Haryanto bus and five vehicles: a Wuling Alvez, two Toyota Innovas, a Suzuki XL7, and a Chery J6.
The collision began when the PO Haryanto bus was travelling from west to east through the left lane of the toll road. The bus driver was unable to control the vehicle and subsequently struck multiple vehicles ahead.
“The collision resulted from driver negligence in failing to maintain safe following distances while driving at excessive speed,” said Eka to Kompas.com on Monday 16 March 2026.
However, police have not yet been able to confirm the average speed of the bus before the incident occurred.
“We are still conducting further investigation, as we need to consult with specialists,” he said.
It should be noted that speed limits on toll roads are not merely numbers, but important rules designed to protect road users’ safety.
Although not all toll road sections have the same speed limit, the Government has established minimum and maximum national speed limits for toll roads.
The Ministry of Transport Regulation Number 111 of 2015 on Speed Limit Setting Procedures establishes that:
The speed limit on urban toll roads is a minimum of 60 km/h and a maximum of 80 km/h
The speed limit on rural toll roads is a minimum of 80 km/h and a maximum of 100 km/h.
Nevertheless, speed limits on toll roads are considered provisional and can be changed and adjusted based on certain considerations. This is regulated in Article 24 paragraph (1) of Government Regulation Number 79 of 2013, which states:
High frequency of accidents in the relevant road area
Changes in road surface conditions or road geometry or surrounding road environment; or
Public proposals through road traffic and transport forums in accordance with the road status level.
For example, the elevated Jakarta-Cikampek II toll road, also known as the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed (MBZ) elevated toll road, is classified as an intercity toll road with a maximum speed limit of 100 km/h and a minimum of 80 km/h.
However, based on consideration from the National Traffic Control Centre of the National Police, the speed limit has been reduced to a maximum of 80 km/h and a minimum of 60 km/h.