Harrowing Angkot accident involving drunken driver ignites safety debate in Indonesia

INDONESIA: The bustling city transportation system, known as Angkot, has long been a favoured mode of public conveyance in Indonesia.

However, the dark side of this popularity was exposed when a grave accident occurred involving an Angkot and a private vehicle.

The unfortunate incident took place on Sunday (23 Jul) in Bandar Lampung.

A TikTok user with the handle @paktu151 uploaded the gripping CCTV footage of an Angkot colliding with a parked car on Monday (24 Jul).

https://www.tiktok.com/@paktu151/video/7259129100281974021?_t=8eKXFvYmeB8&_r=1

The video quickly garnered immense attention, amassing a staggering 213 thousand views, triggering a flurry of comments from netizens.

One observant user remarked, “You can clearly witness reckless racing-like behavior between the two public transportation vehicles.”

netizen comment on TikTok.

The reckless driving depicted in the video left many users in disbelief, with one commenting, “Did they alter the video speed? That Angkot was unbelievably fast!”

netizen comment on TikTok.

To add to the chaos, another Angkot was spotted fleeing the scene, prompting user h**** to exclaim, “Where’s the other bus heading, making a run for it, huh?”

netizen comment on TikTok.

The video depicts a harrowing sight as two Angkot recklessly speed past each other.

Tragically, one of the Angkot lost control and violently collided with a parked Fortuner car by the roadside.

In the aftermath of the collision, bystanders rushed to aid and evacuate those trapped in the toppled Angkot.

According to Kompol Ikhwan Syukri, the Head of Traffic Unit of the Bandar Lampung Police, the accident resulted in five individuals sustaining varying degrees of injuries. Among the injured were four Angkot passengers and the driver.

Shockingly, authorities discovered that one of the Angkot drivers had been operating the vehicle under the influence of alcohol.

“This unfortunate driver, identified as RDP, had consumed alcohol before taking the wheel, compromising the safety of passengers and other road users. As the investigation is still ongoing, we have taken the driver into temporary custody,” informed Kompol Ikhwan Syukri during a media briefing.