Reduce Traffic Accidents: Parliament Calls on Government to Facilitate Free Homecoming Travel for Motorcycle Users

The government has been urged to take seriously its role in facilitating free homecoming travel for residents planning to use motorcycles during the Lebaran holiday period. This is deemed necessary to reduce traffic accidents during this peak travel season.

The call was made by Syaiful Huda, a member of Indonesia’s House of Representatives, who highlighted the alarmingly high number of traffic accidents involving motorcyclists during Lebaran travel. According to police data, motorcycle accidents during Lebaran homecoming journeys account for 75.9% of all incidents.

Huda characterised this figure as entering a dangerous category and no longer acceptable as an ordinary matter. He argued that the high percentage demonstrates that motorcycles are not suitable transport for long-distance travel such as Lebaran journeys.

“This is a sufficiently alarming figure. If the number were only 20% or 30%, it might be understandable. But at 75%, that equates to 179,000 incidents,” Huda said in Bandung on Monday, 16 March.

He expressed particular concern that many children fall victim to these accidents. Of the total 179,000 accidents, approximately 27,000 cases involve children under 17 years of age.

“This demonstrates a very high fatality risk for families who insist on returning home by motorcycle,” he stated. To reduce these fatality rates, he has urged the government to take concrete steps by restricting motorcycle use as a travel method for homecoming journeys.

However, such restrictions must be accompanied by alternative transport provision. “We are calling for motorcycle homecoming travel to be limited. The way to do this is for the government to provide free transport facilities to the public, whether by bus, train, or ship. The objective is to allow residents to return home safely without risking their lives on the road using motorcycles,” he emphasised.

The provision of integrated and free public transport is expected to shift public interest away from two-wheeled vehicles, thereby significantly reducing accident numbers during the Lebaran travel period. “We want to restrict motorcycle travel, but all of this is for public safety,” he concluded.