Zero ODOL Not Yet Official, Regional Governments Jump the Gun

The central government, through the Coordinating Ministry for Infrastructure and Regional Development, plans to enforce the Zero Over Dimension Over Loading (ODOL) policy on 1 January 2027. However, well before this policy takes effect, a number of regions have already begun to crack down on freight vehicles deemed to exceed capacity. They are doing so by issuing policies for on-the-ground stops and inspections, as well as restrictions on load limits and operational hours on certain road sections. This is despite the absence of a national policy foundation to serve as a reference for the rules and enforcement at the regional level.

This accelerated enforcement in several regions raises questions about the clarity of local government authority limits, oversight mechanisms, and the transition period, to ensure the implementation of Zero ODOL does not create an excessive burden before the national policy is officially enacted. Unsurprisingly, this ‘jumping the gun’ by local governments has drawn protests from logistics transport drivers in various areas.

From June 2025 to June 2026, demonstrations occurred in various regions, from Jakarta, Central Java, and East Java to East Kalimantan. From the spread of these protests, Java Island has become the epicentre of Zero ODOL demonstrations as it is the main national logistics corridor and thus the most affected by the ODOL vehicle enforcement policy.

The West Java Provincial Government, for example, issued Gubernatorial Circular Number 151/PM.06/PEREK concerning the operational arrangements for freight vehicles carrying packaged drinking water (AMDK) operating in the West Java region. This circular was enacted and signed on 23 October 2025 and came into effect on 2 January 2026.

This provision has had a broad impact on various industry players in West Java, especially sectors dependent on the smooth distribution of goods. The logistics industry must adjust operational and distribution schedules, potentially increasing overtime, warehousing, loading and unloading queues, and fleet usage costs. This situation risks adding to the operational burden while triggering delays in the supply of goods to the market.

Head of the West Java Provincial Transportation Agency, Dhani Gumelar, denied that the circular was intended as an attempt to pre-empt the central government’s Zero ODOL 2027 policy. ‘The West Java Provincial Government supports this activity by preparing so that AMDK transport is not immediately penalised, but is given time from the enactment of the circular in October 2025 and becomes effective in 2026,’ Dhani said. ‘This circular was made by the West Java Provincial Government so that it can be complied with by all stakeholders doing business in West Java.’

Dhani continued that the West Java Provincial Government had considered the impact and weighed the pros and cons of the policy. ‘There are more negative factors caused by these ODOL vehicles,’ he said. These include being a cause of road accidents, triggering traffic congestion, decreasing vehicle performance, increasing air pollution, wasting fuel, and causing the state to lose tens of trillions of rupiah annually.

However, he continued, the West Java Provincial Government does not yet have a win-win solution scheme between the policy and the benefits that business actors can obtain. ‘We are still waiting for direction from the central government regarding the Zero ODOL incentive scheme,’ he said.

Before the 2027 Zero ODOL policy takes effect, the Chairman of the West Java Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) for the 2025-2030 period, Almer Faiq Rusydi, said that support is needed in the form of an adequate transition period, continuous socialisation, the preparation of clear technical guidelines, ease of licensing, and various incentive schemes that can help business actors adjust their fleets and operations. ‘The importance of a shared understanding between regulators and business actors will support the smooth implementation of the policy,’ he said.

Observing this phenomenon, Public Policy and Transportation Analyst Agus Pambagio said that circulars do not exist in the hierarchy of laws and regulations in Indonesia. This means a circular is only used internally where it is issued. ‘A circular is like a bulletin board or a notice board, it has no legal force. So why use it to regulate the public?’ he said. ‘This country has ignored laws, regulations, and governance in all sectors and lines.’

The issuance of circulars by local governments, according to Agus, is due to the central government’s slowness in regulating everything related to the public interest. Regarding the ODOL policy, Agus admitted he has been voicing this issue for the past ten years with his colleagues. ‘We from the Indonesian Transportation Society asked the government to take action because this is multi-sectoral and there are many consequences to banning ODOL trucks,’ he said.

According to Agus, the government needs to start by drafting a clear, comprehensive roadmap supported by strict supervision. Without this roadmap, each sector will tend to issue its own policies, resulting in a partial, overlapping, and ineffective handling of ODOL.

In Central Java, the provincial government frequently holds discussion forums, such as the Traffic and Road Transport Forum and ‘Ngopi Bareng’ (Coffee Together), with business actors to discuss the Zero ODOL 2027 programme. Head of the Central Java Provincial Transportation Agency, Arief Djatmiko, said he continues to coordinate with the Class I Central Java Land Transportation Management Centre (BPTD) as the lead in motor vehicle normalisation activities. There are two options in this normalisation programme: self-financed and an incentive mechanism from donors. ‘Vehicle owners who choose normalisation with the incentive mechanism must wait for a donor first from stakeholders who support the normalisation programme,’ he said.