Traffic Police Deny Hoax About Manual Ticketing and 150% Fine Increase

The Traffic Corps of the Indonesian National Police has clarified misinformation circulating on social media regarding new traffic ticketing rules for 2026. The false information claimed that the National Police Chief had proposed reinstating manual ticketing across the board and increasing fines by 150 percent, even citing a national figure to strengthen the narrative.

Head of the Traffic Corps, Inspector General Wibowo, firmly stated that the information is a hoax. “Our law enforcement policy continues to prioritise the Electronic Traffic Law Enforcement (ETLE) system, both static and mobile. The claim about a policy to re-implement manual ticketing comprehensively or a 150 percent increase in fines is untrue,” he asserted.

He explained that the police remain committed to optimising technology-based enforcement through ETLE to ensure objective, transparent, and accountable law enforcement. However, field officers still retain the authority to conduct manual enforcement under specific conditions. This measure is selective and situational, not a replacement for the ETLE system which remains the main priority.

“Manual enforcement is only carried out on a limited basis for visible traffic violations that have the potential to cause fatalities or endanger other road users,” he said. Violations targeted for direct action include the use of non-standard exhausts, illegal street racing, driving against the flow of traffic, and reckless driving that threatens public safety.

The Traffic Corps chief stressed that there has been no policy change eliminating the priority of ETLE. The selective presence of manual ticketing is a step to ensure that violations beyond the reach of the ETLE system can still be swiftly addressed to maintain road safety. The public is urged not to easily trust information that does not come from official sources and to always verify before sharing.