Skyway Collision Fallout: TransJakarta Driver Named a Suspect

Two TransJakarta buses were involved in an accident on the Skyway corridor 13 in Cipulir, Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta. One of the TransJakarta drivers has now been named a suspect. The incident occurred on Monday, 23 February, at 07:15 local time. The crash involved a Bianglala TransJakarta bus driven by a man with initials Y travelling from Kebayoran to Cipulir, and a Mayasari Bakti TransJakarta bus driven by A travelling from Cipulir to Kebayoran. Police say Y admitted to dozing off while driving, causing his bus to veer into the oncoming lane and collide head-on. “Y admitted to dozing off at the wheel, causing his vehicle to enter the opposite lane and resulting in a head-on collision,” said AKBP Ojo Ruslani, head of the Gakkum Sub-Directorate of Dirlantas, Polda Metro Jaya, in a statement on Monday (23 February). TransJakarta apologised for the incident which left several people injured. The operator said it would cover medical costs for the 23 injured. The latest: one driver with initials Y has been named a suspect, according to detikcom. PT Transjakarta confirmed that the driver who dozed off and caused the crash would be sanctioned, describing the driver’s error as fatal. “He will certainly face sanctions,” said Tjahyadi Dermawan, Head of Corporate Secretary and Public Relations at TransJakarta, to reporters on Tuesday (24 February). He said the company is conducting an investigation into the incident, and that the operator responsible for the buses being operated will also be sanctioned. “Not only the driver; the operator will be punished. The investigation is ongoing to determine the root cause,” Tjahyadi said. He explained that drivers should be honest if they do not feel fit for duty and that there may be operator-related factors if proper checks were not performed on driver fitness. “Because drivers should be fit during duty, if they feel unwell they should be honest and request not to work,” he added. He also noted that on the operator side, fitness checks should be conducted during duty; the case suggests these checks may not have been carried out. Police have questioned the drivers Y and A involved in the head-on crash on the Skyway corridor 13, known as the ‘Skyway’. Police have named driver Y a suspect. “Already a suspect,” said Dirlantas Polda Metro Jaya Commissioner Komarudin to reporters on Wednesday (4 March). The suspect faces charges under Article 310 of Law Number 22 of 2009 on Traffic and Road Transport (LLAJ). The suspect has not been detained. “The process is ongoing. Not detained, (charged under Article) 310,” he said.