KNKT findings in the investigation indicate that the overloading was partly caused by ODOL trucks
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) stated that over-dimension and overloaded (ODOL) trucks increased the risk of accidents in ferry transport.

"In terms of the transport safety aspect, KNKT perceived that ODOL trucks, apart from potentially causing road accidents, also endanger ferry transport," KNKT Chairperson Soerjanto Tjahjono noted, as per the statement here, Friday.

Since 2019, the KNKT has highlighted issues regarding ODOL trucks' operation by providing inputs to government institutions, including the Transportation Ministry, State-owned Enterprises Ministry, Industry Ministry, and the Cabinet Secretariat, he stated.

Tjahjono highlighted some past sea transport accidents in which overloaded vehicles played a factor, such as the sinking of the "Lestari Maju" ship in Selayar Strait in 2018; the Bili ship in Sambas River, Kalimantan, in 2021; and the "Satya Kencana III" ship in Kumai Port, Central Kalimantan, last October.

He pointed out that the overloaded vehicle deck, which caused the ship draft to be dangerously close to sea level, played a factor in the fatal sinking of the "Yunicee" ship last July, thereby claiming the lives of 11 passengers and leading to the disappearance of 13 others.

"KNKT findings in the investigation indicate that the overloading was partly caused by ODOL trucks," the KNKT head remarked.

Moreover, ODOL trucks could cause damage to ship facilities, including ramp doors, ship deck, and fire extinguisher nozzles, as well as reduce the effectiveness of fire sprinklers at the vehicle deck and hinder access for ship crews to control fires, he stated.

ODOL trucks would also significantly reduce the ship's carrying capacity, complicate the vehicle loading and unloading process due to its overly-large size, and reduce ship stability at sea, Tjahjono pointed out.

"ODOL trucks usually cover their shipping with layered covering, and this complicates the cargo monitoring process. Moreover, accurate cargo manifest declaration carried by ODOL vehicles are sometimes lacking," he noted.

Given its harmful effects on transportation, Tjahjono reiterated his agency's full support for the restriction of ODOL trucks and reminded stakeholders to coordinate comprehensively to enforce the ban.

"(The restriction) could not be implemented outright because it will certainly affect other sectors. It must be implemented in stages, and most importantly, the roadmap to realize zero-ODOL in these five years must be implemented consistently," Tjahjono remarked.

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Translator: Adimas Raditya FP, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Sri Haryati
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