Guide to Choosing a Bus to Avoid Accidents on Tourist Trips

Before traveling by bus, it's a good idea to pay attention to the following things to ensure safety from departure to return.

KOMPAS/MACHRADIN WAHYUDI RITONGA

undefined

The deadly accident in Subang, West Java, which killed 11 people some time ago should serve as a warning for everyone. Indeed, there is nothing wrong with going on vacation, but the bus used should not be chosen carelessly in order to arrive at the destination and return safely. So, what needs to be considered before renting transportation for a tourist trip?

This weekend, the community can once again enjoy a long holiday. According to a joint decree by three ministers, namely the Minister of Religion, the Minister of Manpower, and the Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform regarding national holidays and collective leave in 2024, Thursday (23/5/2024) is designated as a red-letter day to commemorate the Waisak celebration, followed by Friday (24/5/2024) as a collective leave for the Waisak celebration. This will then be followed by a weekend holiday.

Long holidays are usually filled with traveling or sightseeing, either alone, with family, colleagues, or schoolmates. Some use private vehicles, while others use public transportation, whether by air, sea, or land.

For large groups, land routes by bus are often an option. Especially in the midst of still high plane ticket prices, especially if you want to go on holiday across provinces or overseas.

Also read: Tourist Bus Hits Truck on Jombang Toll Road, a Teacher and Bus Manager Died

KOMPAS/ISMAIL ZAKARIA

The bus carrying tourists experienced problems in the Lombok-Mandalika International Airport Bypass Road area, West Nusa Tenggara, Thursday (23/5/2024) afternoon.

In Lombok, during the past week, bus users have also been observed to be crowded. Not only those coming from outside, but also buses provided by bus or travel companies.

"The demand for buses is currently high. Today, one of our buses is operating. On May 25, tomorrow, it has already been booked to transport students from Central Lombok to several tourist destinations in East Lombok," said Sukana (62), one of the drivers at Jonny Tour Guide Lombok, on Thursday (May 23, 2024).

Buses are often chosen as a transportation option. Besides being relatively cheaper, buses can also carry a large number of passengers. However, the decision to use bus transportation has recently caused concerns, especially with the frequent occurrence of bus accidents.

Lastly and most attention-grabbing is the bus accident in Subang that transported students from Lingga Kencana Vocational High School in Depok. The accident occurred during their journey back from a school farewell event in Bandung, West Java. A total of 64 people became victims of the bus accident in Subang (Kompas.id, 11/5/2024).

Also read: Bus Tragedy in Subang, Bodies of 11 Victims Handed Over to Families

KOMPAS/ISMAIL ZAKARIA

Head of the Intercity Public Transport Division in Organda NTB Province Andi Jalaludin

Eleven people have died, while others have suffered serious and minor injuries. Ten of the victims who died were passengers of the Trans Putera Fajar bus with license plate number AD 7524 OG. The remaining victim was a road user who was hit by the bus.

There was also an accident tourist bus carrying a group of study tour participants from Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Negeri (MIN) 1 Pesisir Barat, Lampung. The bus had a single accident on the west Sumatra highway, precisely in Pekon Sedayu, Semaka District, Tanggamus Regency, Lampung, on Wednesday (22/5/2024). Six people were injured as a result of the incident.

On the evening of the previous day, Tuesday (21/5/2024) at 23:45 WIB, a tourism bus carrying a group of junior high school students from SMP PGRI 1 Wonosari, Malang, East Java, had an accident on Tol Jombang. As a result, 17 passengers were victims. Two of them died, namely a teacher and the bus driver.

So, to avoid accidents, what do prospective bus renters need to pay attention to?

Choose a bus

Of course everyone wants the holiday to run smoothly and not end in sadness. However, choosing the wrong bus could be the beginning of disaster.

The Head of Intercity Transportation Division in the Province of the National Motor Vehicle Transport Business Organization (Organda) of NTB, Andi Jalaludin, stated that when choosing or renting a bus, potential renters must obtain as much information as possible regarding the vehicle that will be used.

Also read: Bus Falls into a Ravine in Sumedang, 22 People Die

KOMPAS/ISMAIL ZAKARIA

Residents use small trucks or inter-district vehicles to vacation in the Mandalika, Kuta, Pujut, Central Lombok area in NTB, as seen on Thursday (23/5/2024). The use of vehicles should be in accordance with their intended purpose to avoid accidents.

"The community or prospective tenants have the right to question the transportation providers whether the vehicles are roadworthy or not," said Jalaludin on Wednesday (May 22, 2024) in Mataram.

According to him, in accordance with regulations, land transportation vehicles, whether intercity, interprovince, tourism, or rural transportation, are declared roadworthy by the transportation agency authorities.

"A vehicle that is roadworthy is proven by a ramp check test by the transportation service where the vehicle is domiciled or the domicile of the vehicle's documents," said Jalaludin.

Also read: Bus Overturns on the Bandung-Subang Route, 8 People Die at the Location

KOMPAS/ISMAIL ZAKARIA

Despite the prohibition, residents still use open vehicles when vacationing in the Tanjung Aan Beach area, Pujut, Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, on Thursday (23/5/2024) afternoon.

After the feasibility test in the vehicle's domicile city, the next step is to apply for operational permits. "If it hasn't received a permit, such as for tourism transportation, it cannot be used for tourism activities," said Jalaludin.

This could be one of the considerations or something that the renter must ensure before choosing a bus for traveling purposes.

"This vehicle actually has many functions. However, sometimes we forget. For example, tourism vehicles should have their own permits. Then school transportation and employee transportation should also have separate permits," he explained.

This means that AKDP or AKAP vehicles should not be used for tourism purposes. The bus that had an accident in Subang is also suspected to not be a tourism bus, but rather an AKDP bus used for tourism purposes.

Also read: Bus Overturns on Bandung-Subang Route, 8 People Killed

KOMPAS/ISMAIL ZAKARIA

The holidaymakers boarded a bus at the Mandalika Class A Terminal in Mataram City, West Nusa Tenggara, on Friday (4/5/2024). Around 1,200 holidaymakers departed from the terminal by bus with destinations in areas on Sumbawa Island, such as Dompu, Bima, and Kota Bima.

"So, just ask all of that. It's okay. The transport company shouldn't refuse. Besides, as a renter, you should also check the physical condition, such as the tires are still good, the lights are on, and so on," said Sukana.

According to him, as a tour service provider by bus, they really check the condition of the vehicle. Especially for overland. “Besides having your own mechanic, the vehicle must be healthy before it goes on the road. I've changed the oil, axle oil, checked the brakes, etc. "It's called a long journey, don't make it miserable in the middle of the road," he said.

The Head of the Transportation Office in West Nusa Tenggara, Lalu Moh Faozal, added that the accident in Subang is a warning for all parties. "It is a warning that there must be proper transportation modes for traveling. Don't just use anything," said Faozal.

He stated that potential renters must search for vehicles that have received recommendations from the transportation department. "Use vehicles that have recommendations. Likewise, use travel services with vehicles that meet standards. Avoid using vehicles that are over-aged," said Faozal.

Also read: Those Who Leave Their Private Vehicles and Hunt for a Free Homecoming

KOMPAS/ISMAIL ZAKARIA

The appearance of the Mitradarat application that can be installed on Android or iOS devices, as seen on Friday (24/5/2024). This application can be used to check the permits and eligibility of land transportation.

Mitradarat Application

If asking the transportation company directly is not convincing, prospective renters can use an application that can be installed on a smartphone.

The government, through the Directorate General of Land Transportation, Ministry of Transportation, also has an application called Mitradarat. This application is available for Android or iOS based devices.

According to the Ministry of Transportation website, Mitradarat is a multi-service application that is built to integrate and simplify the process of services related to supervision, licensing, and operation of land transportation sectors.

This application has a simple and easy-to-use interface. There are menus to check the position of buses or vehicles, as well as to check vehicle permits and fitness. The available data is also complete.

To check the vehicle permit, users simply have to enter the vehicle number into the available column. Then after pressing "OK", the related data of the vehicle will automatically appear.

When Kompas checked the vehicle number of the bus that had an accident in Subang, the transportation permit was not available. The validity period of the vehicle test certificate has also expired, namely on December 6 2023.

Also read: Bus Accident in Subang Allegedly Not Roadworthy

Conductor

After dealing with permits and road safety, including physical checks, the readiness of transportation personnel should also be a concern. In this case, the conductor.

Jalaludin explained that based on regulations, the crew in charge can drive a vehicle for a maximum of four hours. "Then there is a break of around half or one hour for rest," he said.

Therefore, for long journeys of four or five hours, there should be at least two conductors or drivers so that they can take turns. Meanwhile, for short distances or within islands, such as Lombok, it can be done with only one driver.

"For overseas trips, we prepare two drivers and two maids," said Sukana.

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO

A truck driver got out of his vehicle during a traffic jam on the Marunda Access Road, Marunda, North Jakarta, Thursday (9/5/2024). The traffic jam occurred due to road repairs along about 20 meters of the road, causing vehicles to pass alternately. This caused a traffic jam of about 1 kilometer in both directions.

Trouble on the road

Although preparations have been made as best as possible, there is always a possibility of problems during the journey. For example, the vehicle breaking down. In relation to this, there needs to be a mutual agreement at the beginning regarding the replacement of the vehicle.

Jalaludin mentioned that at the beginning, an agreement needs to be made between the renters and the bus company. "If there are obstacles that require 2-3 hours to fix and cause delays or postpone visiting schedules, the vehicle must be replaced," he said.

However, if the problem is like a flat tire that can be handled in only about 30 minutes, it can still be waited for. "So, the agreement related to that can be requested by the user themselves. Whether it's a verbal or written agreement," he said.

KOMPAS/ISMAIL ZAKARIA

Tourists disembarked from the boat they rented to explore the Tanjung Aan Beach area in Pujut, Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara on Thursday afternoon (23/5/2024). For a single trip, the boat owner charges a rate starting from Rp 10,000 per person.

Insurance

Insurance can also be another consideration in choosing transportation, especially for tourism transportation. Jalaludin added that there is insurance regularly paid by public transportation to providers, such as Jasa Raharja.

"There are also insurances provided by tour operators. If it's official, they usually provide insurance services for each individual tourist," he said.

Furthermore, he stated that in addition to insurance from the transportation used, it is not wrong to utilize insurance facilities from tourism travel service providers.

"We don't know what problems we might face outside of the vehicle when we're on vacation. So, it's not a problem to pay a higher price, but the guarantee we get is also slightly better. From departure to return, everything is completely guaranteed," said Jalaludin.