MTI Hopes Transportation Infrastructure Development Continues In Prabowo-Gibran Government

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairperson of the Empowerment and Strengthening of the Indonesian Transportation Society Region (MTI) Central Djoko Setijowarno said that infrastructure development must continue in the new government era with various improvements to improve people's welfare.

"Towards Indonesia Gold 2045, transportation should be a basic need such as food, clothing, housing, education and health. Transportation as a derivative need also determines the progress of an area and ends in the welfare of the community," said Djoko Setijowarno in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Sunday, October 20.

He highlighted that although the construction of the Trans Java Toll Road provides a number of benefits for the smooth transportation of people and goods, this has not been able to provide welfare for workers in the logistics sector.

This infrastructure has indeed facilitated the flow of transportation, cut travel times by 50 percent, reduced logistics costs to 14 percent, and increased the movement of people, distribution of goods, and service growth.

However, the average wage received by long-distance freight transport drivers is only IDR 500 thousand a week due to the rampant practice of extortion.

Not only eradicating extortion practices, Djoko stated that the upcoming government also needs to improve the service of the Motor Vehicle Weighing Implementation Unit (UPPKB) which is no longer suitable for operation in several locations.

"The modernization of UPPKB services must be carried out immediately (with the use of heavy in motion/WIM) and there needs to be an improvement in comfort facilities for UPPKB which are far from the city center," he said.

His party also stated that the handling of over-dimensional vehicles and overload (ODOL) still needed to be improved, considering that accidents involving freight transportation still often occur.

However, goods transportation entrepreneurs and goods owners often let go or do not get legal sanctions. Truck drivers are victims of the logistics transportation system that is still chaotic in this country. The new president must immediately intervene by issuing presidential instructions on completing the handling of goods transportation," said Djoko.

He also said that rail infrastructure and water transportation had not been used optimally in logistics transportation.

According to him, there needs to be an equivalence in the cost of road transportation and rail transportation, considering that logistics transportation by train is still subject to VAT and track access charges (TAC), as well as using non-subsidized fuel, so that train transportation rates become expensive.

He also considered that transportation safety was still a serious problem, especially road transportation.

One of the efforts that can be made to strengthen transportation safety is to reorganize the School Selamat Children's Route Program (RASS) and include teaching related to traffic order in the school curriculum.

"The water transportation program that takes students to school locations on small islands, lakes, and rivers must also be equipped with life jackets," added Djoko.

Prabowo Subianto and Glibran Rakabuming Raka were officially appointed as President and Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia for the 2024-2029 term after taking the oath of office at the MPR RI Plenary Session at the Nusantara Building, Parliament Complex, Jakarta, Sunday.

Chairman of the MPR RI Ahmad Muzani said that as many as 709 members of the MPR RI witnessed the procession of taking the oath of office. The MPR RI Plenary Session was also attended by national figures, leaders of political parties, and representatives of friendly countries.