KNKT calls for better and smarter planning of school trips to prevent accidents

“Make a good and smart travel plan. Don’t force the bus driver to drive all day and all night.”

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) called on schools to develop better and wiser planning of school trips to prevent accidents.

The application is in connection with a bus accident involving students and teachers of Lingga Kencana Vocational High School on a graduation trip to Subang, which occurred on Saturday.

“Make a good and smart travel plan. Do not force the bus driver to drive all day and night,” said KNKT investigator Ahmad Wildan when contacted by ANTARA on Sunday.

He noted that the driver was not allowed to drive for more than 12 hours. After a journey of 12 hours, the driver must be given a rest break so that he can continue the journey the next day.

“Don’t make a plan where drivers drive both during the day and at night. This is not permitted. At night, bus drivers have to rest or sleep,” he said.

Wildan further said that a suitable place or space must be prepared for bus drivers to sleep to prevent fatigue, which could potentially jeopardize the safety of passengers.

According to him, one of the risks of accidents that can occur in coaches is that the coach driver becomes fatigued by driving for too long.

At least eleven people were killed and dozens more injured in the bus accident on Saturday.

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National Police Traffic Corps (Polri) chief Inspector General Aan Suhanan said that based on the preliminary investigation results, no skid marks were found at the accident site in Palasari village.

He suspected that the bus accident was caused by a fault in the bus’s braking function, causing it to swerve to the right and hit a car coming from the opposite direction.

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Translator: Aji Cakti, Raka Adji
Editor: Arie Novarina
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