To curb accidents, motorcyclists urged to switch to the Free Mudik Programme

The Deputy Chair of the Indonesian House of Representatives’ Commission V, Syaiful Huda, urged the government to provide alternative transport options such as Free Mudik, arguing that motorcycle use remains a choice for a portion of the public. He stated that from 2022 to 2025, around 75.9% of accidents during the mudik period occurred among motorcycle users, equal to about 179,566 mudik travellers. He said the mudik accident figure with motorcycles could be reduced by offering safer transport alternatives; the government still has time to study options. ‘Some time ago I also conveyed to the Ministry of Transportation that there is about one month left to study the possibility of restricting mudik travellers using motorcycles, with the caveat that the government provide alternatives through the Free Mudik Programme,’ the PKB faction legislator said. He added that the number of mudik travellers using motorcycles is very large, potentially up to around 24 million people. However, some could be diverted to safer transport modes such as buses or trains, especially for families travelling with children and spouses. ‘If mudik travellers on motorcycles can be converted to safer transport modes, then the accident potential will automatically decrease,’ concluded Syaiful.