The Geong Banyumas Glass Bridge Breaks: Tourist Attraction Aesthetics Are Necessary, But Security Is More Important

The location of the fall of tourists from the broken The Geong glass bridge in the Limpakuwus Pine Forest Tourism Area, Banyumas Regency, Central Java, Wednesday (25/10/2023). (Between/Sumarwoto)

JAKARTA The Geong glass bridge, which is located in the Pinus Limpakuwus Forest complex, Banyumas Regency, Central Java, has gone viral in the past week. It was because the glass bridge incident broke, causing one tourist to die.

The incident began when four tourists from Cilacap, Central Java were busy taking pictures on the ride on Wednesday (10/25/2023) at around 10.00 WIB. But suddenly the glass that became a foothold broke. Two people fell from a height of about 15 meters, while the other two held on to the bridge.

"When the glass broke, two people had time to hold on to the safety on the glass bridge. Then two more people fell down," said Edy Suranta Sitepu, Head of Banyumas Police, quoted from Antara.

The two tourists who fell were FA (49) and A (31). The FA was declared dead, while A was seriously injured and is still hospitalized.

As a result of the unfortunate incident, the Geong glass bridge vehicle, the Limpakauwus Pine Forest was closed by the police line, and there will be an examination carried out on this jemnatan to follow up on the case.

The domestic tourism sector is aggressively attracting tourists after being suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tourist attractions make various efforts to attract the attention of visitors.

Ride for selfies is included in favorite rides in a number of tourist attractions. So don't be surprised, selfie rides are almost always found in every tourist spot.

As happened in the Limpakawus Pine Forest complex. The Geong glass bridge is the prima donna of visiting tourists. The bridge has a height of about 10 meters with a length of 25 meters.

According to a number of sources, this glass bridge began construction 11 months ago, and entered the Limpakuwus Pine Forest area. But the head of the Limpakuwus Forest Cooperative, Eko Purnomo, said that the ride for the The Geong glass bridge was not part of HPL management.

Eko emphasized that the glass bridge ride is located on land owned by the Ministry of Agriculture managed by the Baturraden Unggul Livestock and Greenan Plantation Center (BBPTUHPT), not on land owned by Perum Perhutani which is currently being used for the Limpauwus Pine Forest tourist area.

Furthermore, Eko said that The Geong manager collaborated with Kokanana, which is a cooperative owned by BBPUHPT.

"The manager of 'The Geong' cooperates with us only in terms of parking. Visitors pay for parking in front, we accommodate it," said Eko, quoted by Antara.

Since the Eid al-Fitr 2023 holiday, The Geong glass bridge has become crowded with tourists from the Limpakawus Pine Forest and has now become one of the favorite tourist spots.

Despite the high public interest in visiting new rides, the management should maintain the security aspect. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to be done by the manager of The Geong's glass bridge.

This is evident from the results of the investigation conducted by the Banyumas Police the day after the incident. Head of the Banyumas Police Criminal Investigation Unit, Commissioner Agus Supriadi, said that so far there has never been a feasibility test on the vehicle.

"This bridge does not have a feasibility test from related parties," said Agus.

In addition, the results of the examination are also not equipped with an adequate security system and instructions for visitors to prevent accidents.

Lecturer at the Faculty of Engineering, Jenderal Sudirman University, Purwokerto, Nor Intang Setyo also checked the crime scene (TKP). According to his observations, the glass installed on the bridge is indeed risky.

This can be seen from the unequal glass color, so Intang suspects that the glass used is used glass. In addition, the glass of the bridge is only one sheet with a thickness of about 1.2 cm. In fact, according to him, the glass bridge ride in China usually uses glass with a thickness of 5.1 cm.

Making rides that attract the attention of tourists is already the task of the owner of tourist attractions. Even so, it is better if an attractive vehicle is not only a visual aesthetic, but also must pay attention to other things such as safety and the environment.

The glass bridge as a place for selfies is indeed quite loved by the community in the past few years. But unfortunately, the glass bridge ride is considered not in accordance with the principles of environmentally and sustainable tourism.

Tourism observer from Jenderal Sudirman University (Unsoed) Chusmeru asked the government to reconsider the construction of glass bridge rides following the crash of tourists in The Geong.

Not only is the construction considered unsafe, but according to Chusmeru, the vehicle is also not in accordance with the principles of environmentally and sustainable tourism.

"The government should reconsider the development of types of tourist rides like this," said Chusmeru.

Such a thing has the potential for accidents. "Security and safety of tourists are a priority to be comfortable in traveling," he added.

The broken glass on The Geong's glass bridge is a joint warning that public buildings used by many people, especially in tourist areas, not only prioritize aesthetics, but also security, safety, and comfort.

Therefore, licensing from the government and adequate feasibility tests are absolutely carried out before becoming a public vehicle.