Antara News·Indonesia·Saturday, November 7, 2026 at 09:57 AM UTC

Ministry intensifies land transport safety ahead of year-end holidays

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Muhammad Harianto, Yashinta Difa

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Transportation Ministry is stepping up land transport accident mitigation efforts ahead of the Christmas 2026 and New Year 2027 holidays through enhanced vehicle inspections, strict operational supervision, and upgraded safety management systems.

The ministry’s Director General of Land Transportation, Aan Suhanan, stated that the rigorous oversight is necessary to curb traffic accidents during peak year-end mobility periods.

"At the same time reducing the potential for traffic accidents, especially during the Christmas 2026 and New Year 2027 (travel) periods," Aan said in a statement on Saturday.

Citing National Police Traffic Corps data, the ministry noted that land sector accidents rose by 5 percent from 150,906 incidents in 2024 to 158,508 in 2025, though fatalities dropped 9.5 percent from 26,839 to 24,296.

In 2025, goods vehicles were involved in 29,174 accidents and public buses in 21,269 incidents, trailing only motorcycles.

During the previous Christmas-New Year operations spanning December 20, 2025, to January 2, 2026, authorities recorded 3,184 accidents resulting in 403 fatalities.

According to National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) decade-long investigations, roughly 70 percent of road crashes stem from human error, with driver fatigue ranking as the leading contributor.

Other primary risk factors include brake failure caused by overloading, poorly maintained braking systems and unfamiliarity with terrain.

To mitigate these risks, the Directorate General of Land Transportation is intensifying roadworthiness inspections (ramp checks) across passenger and cargo fleets.

While such checks are conducted year-round, enforcement will be significantly scaled up from November 10, 2026, to January 3, 2027.

"We regularly carry out ramp checks on passenger transport and goods transport, but during Christmas-New Year operations, we will intensify ramp checks," Aan said.

Inspections will cover both administrative compliance and rigorous technical assessments of vehicle fitness and driver readiness. Vehicles failing to meet standards will be barred from continuing their journeys.

Furthermore, the ministry is partnering with logistics operators through the Electronic Traffic Law Enforcement (ETLE HUB) system to tighten oversight on freight transport and crack down on dangerous overloading practices.

Transport companies have also been urged to conduct independent, preemptive fleet audits.

Beyond immediate seasonal enforcement, the ministry is pushing for structural reforms in corporate safety oversight.

Plans are underway to revise Minister of Transportation Regulation Number PM 85 of 2018 regarding Public Transport Safety Management Systems (SMK PAU).

The proposed updates aim to mandate stricter qualifications for executives responsible for safety management systems—ensuring that corporate leadership maintains hands-on control over driver management, vehicle maintenance, and travel risk mitigation.

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