Freight transport is the biggest contributor to (road) accidents after motorcycles.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Overdimension and overloaded (ODOL) trucks are causing a number of problems, such as damage to road infrastructure and traffic accidents, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has said.

"The impact of ODOL trucks is that road infrastructure becomes quickly damaged and (they are) prone to road traffic accidents," he noted during an online discussion, accessed from here on Tuesday.

Based on the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing data, the state spends Rp43 trillion every year in repairing roads damaged due to ODOL trucks, he informed.

In addition, overloaded trucks also frequently cause road accidents in various areas in the country, the minister said.

"Most of the freight vehicles, 74 to 93 percent, violate the provisions. Freight transport is the biggest contributor to (road) accidents after motorcycles," he added.

The Ministry of Transportation, through the Directorate General of Land Transportation, is currently preparing a road map for a 2023 ODOL-free Indonesia, he informed.

To achieve the goal, the ministry is continuing efforts such as the use of information technology, the application of weighbridges, and strengthening of regulations, he said.

The government is also carrying out adjustments related to logistics transportation tariffs, engineering logistics network freight vehicle loading procedures, accreditation of motor vehicle testing, and compensation for testers and traffic control officers, he added.

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It is also implementing e-manifests, e-tickets, safety management systems, e-log books, and regulations on the carrying capacity of roads and bridges connected to the command center, he said.

Sumadi added that his ministry is continuing to coordinate with related stakeholders such as the National Police (Polri), the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing, the Ministry of Industry, regional governments, and the association of logistics transportation entrepreneurs to achieve the target of ODOL-free Indonesia by 2023.

"This is also complemented by accommodating suggestions and inputs from road users, the community to the aspirations of entrepreneurs and drivers of freight vehicles," he remarked.

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Translator: Adimas Raditya, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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