Most road networks connecting all districts in 38 regencies and municipalities in East Java remain in poor condition, mainly because of meager maintenance funds, weak law enforcement and a prolonged rainy season.
Herry Budianto, head of the provincial public works agency's development section, said most road users, mainly the business community, frequently complained about the abysmal condition of the roads, but pointed out the damage was partly due to the business community.
"The road damage has raised operating costs for the business community, including land transportation companies, but they should blame it not only on the government but also on other stakeholders, mainly bus and truck operators," he told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
He added more than 2,000 kilometers of a total of 3,600 kilometers of road networks aged more than 12 years were in dire need of repair, but the government is running short of funds.
"The roads need regular major repairs after 10 years, but the provincial government has allocated only Rp 125 billion for this, while we actually need at least Rp 700 billion," he said.
The most urgent section that needs to be repaired is that connecting Bojonegoro, Padangan and Ngawi on the north coast highway, heavily frequented by loaded trucks and big passenger buses and often inundated by floods during the rainy season, he added.
Considering the importance of the arterial road connecting Semarang in Central Java to Surabaya and Banyuwangi on the north coast, and the unstable terrain, experts say the road should be constructed using the pile slab system, which cost Rp 20 billion per kilometer.
The poor road conditions got special attention from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on his recent visit to Lamongan and Tuban, when he asked East Java Governor Soekarwo to coordinate with regency administrations in Gresik, Lamongan, Bojonegoro and Tuban to immediately repair the damaged roads.
Herry also said the road damage had to do with the absence of tight regulations and punishments for drivers of overloaded trucks and long vehicles.
State roads have a capacity of only 10 tons, while provincial roads have a capacity of 8 tons. Overloaded trucks are rarely restricted from using these roads, and when caught, drivers are only asked to pay small fines.
"Transportation authorities should impose harsh punishments or fines against drivers of trucks and container vehicles with intolerable overloads," he said, adding that drivers hauling a 30 percent overload were usually only fined around Rp 30,000 at weigh stations.
Hary Soegiri, head of the provincial transportation office, said his office would comply with Bylaw No. 7/2002 on weigh stations to impose fines on such drivers. He added a memo issued by the transportation minister on Dec. 18, 2008, still tolerated overloads of up to 20 percent.
He said the provincial administration and legislature should pass strict regulations threatening harsh sanctions against drivers of heavily overloaded vehicles, while allocating adequate maintenance costs for road networks.
Chairul Djalani, chairman of the Indonesian Transportation Society's (MTI) East Java branch, called on the government and police to wipe out bribery at weigh stations.
"Operators load their trucks and containers beyond the tolerable limits because they can *buy' the approval of corrupt officials at weigh stations," he said.
