Motorcycles Dominate Homecoming Travel, Safety Standards Urged to Be Tightened

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The high number of traffic accidents is once again in the spotlight during the 2026 Eid homecoming season. Particular attention is focused on two-wheeled vehicles, which are considered one of the most vulnerable modes of transport to accidents, especially when public mobility sharply increases during the homecoming rush period. Member of DPR RI Commission V Saadiah Uluputty emphasised the need for more aggressive intervention from the government to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities on the roads. Data from the Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) shows that in 2025, there were 155,443 road traffic accidents recorded in Indonesia. Of that number, around 75,000 people died. That figure equates to 26.33 fatalities per 100,000 population. “This means it is a worrying number, almost three times the target of the National General Safety Plan (RUNK),” said Saadiah in her statement, quoted on Wednesday (25/3/2026). That programme targets a reduction in fatalities of up to 80 percent by 2035, using 2010 data as the baseline. However, according to Saadiah, those efforts need to be accompanied by strengthening driving safety standards, particularly for two-wheeled vehicles, which have so far been deemed most prone to accidents. She assessed that the completeness of safety components is a crucial factor in reducing accident risks for that mode of transport. Saadiah also reminded that the Eid homecoming moment should not merely become an annual mobility routine that poses high risks to public safety. She encouraged the government to use that period as a momentum to strengthen the enforcement of driving safety regulations. “Make this a moment for enforcing regulations and driving standards that protect the public,” Saadiah concluded.