NTB Ombudsman Finds Unreasonable Bus Fares During Lebaran Return Flow
Mataram (ANTARA) - The Ombudsman Representative for West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) has again discovered discrepancies in non-economy inter-provincial bus transport (AKDP) fares during the 2026 Lebaran return flow.
The Head of the NTB Ombudsman Representative, Dwi Sudarsono, in Mataram on Thursday, revealed that based on the Decree of the Head of the NTB Transportation Department Number 48 of 2026, the official fare for the Bima-Mataram route is set at Rp330,000. However, in practice, passengers are being charged up to Rp400,000.
Previously, during the outbound Lebaran flow, the Ombudsman also found similar violations in executive class services with fares reaching Rp375,000, exceeding the established limits.
Dwi emphasised that this finding is not the first occurrence. The Ombudsman assesses that the practice of fare violations happens repeatedly, indicating weak supervision by the NTB Provincial Government (Pemprov), particularly the NTB Transportation Department. Despite similar findings being reported by the Ombudsman during the outbound flow, the same violations have recurred in the current return flow.
“This shows that supervision is not running optimally. We have already conveyed the findings during the outbound flow, but in the return flow, the same violations are happening again,” said Dwi Sudarsono.
He stressed that the NTB Transportation Department, as the frontline agency, has the primary responsibility to maintain the sustainability of AKDP transport businesses while ensuring healthy fare competition.
According to him, supervision must be carried out seriously and continuously, especially during the Lebaran transport period which is prone to price surges.
“The Ombudsman hopes that the transport fare decree does not become mere formality without real implementation oversight in the field,” he stated.
Dwi warned that weak supervision could open the door to fare manipulation practices that harm the wider public. Therefore, the Ombudsman encourages firm action from the NTB Transportation Department, including sanctions against transport operators that violate fare regulations.
The Ombudsman stated that the results of this supervision will also be forwarded to the central government level as material for evaluation in improving transport governance, particularly during the Lebaran transport period.
“We urge the public to actively report any fare discrepancies or transport service issues during the 2026 Lebaran return flow by contacting the NTB Ombudsman Representative via WhatsApp at 08111323737, to ensure that the public is served in accordance with applicable regulations,” he said.