Police Say Organisers Neglecting to Repair Damaged Roads Can Face Criminal Charges
BEKASI, KOMPAS.com – The Head of the Bekasi Metro Police Traffic Unit, Kompol Sugihartono, affirmed that road organisers who neglect to repair damaged roads, resulting in accidents, can face criminal sanctions in accordance with Law Number 22 of 2009 concerning Road Traffic and Transportation (the Road Traffic and Transportation Law).
Article 24 of the Road Traffic and Transportation Law stipulates that road organisers are obliged to immediately repair damaged roads that have the potential to cause accidents.
“If there is damage that is not immediately repaired, and then there is a fatal accident, they (the organisers) are responsible,” Sugihartono told Kompas.com on Thursday (February 26, 2026).
According to him, the condition of roads that have not been repaired can still be tolerated as long as there are clear signs for road users.
“If there are signs or markers, that’s okay, the important thing is that there are signs at the location indicating that the road cannot be used,” he said.
However, if there is no repair or warning signs and an accident occurs, the road organiser can be charged under Article 273 of the Road Traffic and Transportation Law.
Sugihartono said that this article stipulates that negligence that causes an accident with minor injuries can be punished with a maximum of six months in prison or a fine of IDR 12 million.
If it causes serious injuries, the maximum criminal penalty is one year in prison or a fine of IDR 24 million. Meanwhile, if it results in death, the maximum criminal penalty is five years in prison or a fine of IDR 120 million.
Furthermore, if no signs or markers are installed on the damaged road, the organiser can be punished with a maximum of six months in prison or a fine of IDR 1.5 million.
One of the points that has impacted traffic congestion is on the Cibarusah–Lemahabang road.
On this section, damage can be seen in several points in the form of quite deep holes with varying diameters, peeling asphalt surfaces, and uneven patches that form waves.
When it rains, some of the holes are covered with puddles of water, making them invisible to drivers. This condition poses a risk of causing vehicles, especially motorcycles, to lose balance.
Trucks and heavy vehicles passing through also exacerbate the road damage due to the large load.
He emphasised that based on Presidential Regulation Number 1 of 2022 concerning the National General Plan for Road Traffic and Transportation Safety, road traffic safety is the shared responsibility of all stakeholders, both ministries and local governments.
“We must ensure that during the upcoming Ketupat Operation in the context of the homecoming and return traffic, there are no traffic jams or fatalities caused by damaged roads,” he said.
“Ideally, it should be getting better, because every time there is an activity, we evaluate what the road conditions are like,” he added.
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