Legislator urges evaluation of Trans-Sumatra highway following bus accident

DPR RI Commission V member Zigo Rolanda has urged the government to conduct a thorough evaluation of the quality of the Trans-Sumatra highway following the fatal accident between an ALS passenger bus and a fuel tanker truck in North Musi Rawas (Muratara), South Sumatra. “I request the Ministry of Public Works to accelerate road repairs at vulnerable points,” Zigo said in a statement in Jakarta on Sunday. He stressed that the Trans-Sumatra highway is the lifeline of the economy on Sumatra Island and must not be allowed to deteriorate, no matter how minor, as it concerns human lives. “Because lives are at stake,” he stated. Zigo assessed that handling the accident should not stop at merely recording the victims but must serve as a momentum for evaluating public transport governance and national infrastructure maintenance. In addition to road issues, he highlighted findings of non-standard safety loads in the passenger bus, such as gas cylinders, motorcycles, and engines. “A passenger bus is not a logistics truck. Carrying dangerous goods like gas cylinders and motorcycles inside a bus is fatal, and there must be strict sanctions for rogue operators,” he said. According to him, the Ministry of Transportation needs to increase supervision at terminals and departure points to prevent passenger vehicles from being misused to transport hazardous goods. “Control functions must operate. This shows that supervision at departure points is still weak,” he remarked. “I extend my deepest condolences to the victims’ families. May they be granted strength,” he added. The fatal collision between the ALS bus and the tanker truck occurred on the Trans-Sumatra highway in Karang Jaya sub-district, Muratara Regency, on Wednesday (6/5) afternoon. Based on initial investigation results, the accident is believed to have occurred when the ALS bus, travelling from Lubuk Linggau to Jambi, attempted to avoid a road pothole. However, the vehicle lost control, entered the oncoming lane, and collided with the tanker truck, causing a massive fire.