Suramadu Bridge Under Scrutiny After Repeated Accidents, Lighting and Signage Urged to Be Fixed

Safety facilities along the Surabaya-Madura (Suramadu) Bridge urgently need to be completed and repaired following an increase in accidents on the route. The call was made by East Java DPRD member Nur Faizin, who urged the East Java-Bali National Road Implementation Centre (BBPJN) to immediately improve safety facilities on the Suramadu Bridge after further accidents on the link between Surabaya and Madura. “The toll-free policy, which has been in effect since 2018, must not be used as an excuse to lower the quality of maintenance or safety standards for road users,” he said in Surabaya on Wednesday (8/7). Nur Faizin assessed that the lack of street lighting and traffic signs is an issue that must receive immediate attention. According to him, these conditions potentially increase the risk of accidents, especially at night. “From what I see, the lighting is still a problem. Traffic signs are also still very minimal. Our colleagues in Commission D of the East Java DPRD have also given their attention so that facilities in the Suramadu area are immediately repaired. Accidents must not be allowed to keep recurring due to a lack of lighting and signage,” he said. He stated that the long-standing toll-free status of the Suramadu Bridge should not result in a decline in service quality for the public. “Suramadu is indeed free now. But just because it is free, the quality of facilities and safety standards should not be reduced,” he stressed. Currently, maintenance of the Suramadu Bridge is under the authority of the Ministry of Public Works through the East Java-Bali BBPJN. Therefore, Nur Faizin hopes that improving safety facilities becomes a priority so that road users feel safe and comfortable when crossing Indonesia’s longest bridge. Beyond the physical infrastructure, Nur Faizin also highlighted the importance of driver discipline in maintaining travel safety. He revealed that his own parents were passengers on a tour bus involved in a recent pile-up on the Suramadu Bridge. He urged drivers not to force themselves to continue driving when tired or drowsy.