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‘Om Telolet Om’ unsafe to do on public roads: Transportation Ministry
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Several students wave banners that read "Om Telolet Om" asking bus drivers to honk their horns on Jl. Sudirman, Bekasi, West Java, on Dec. 21. The phrase “Om Telolet Om’, is a popular Indonesian phrase used by the younger generation and has become an internet sensation recently. (Antara/Risky Andrianto)
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esponding to the recent phenomenon of young people shouting 'Om Telolet Om", demanding bus drivers to honk their horns, Transportation Ministry urged the public on Thursday to refrain from such activities on public roads.
Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said the action is not safe because many young people now dare to chase buses or stop passing buses in the middle of the road or even close by the toll roads.
“I personally like the ‘Om Telolet Om’ trend, but I urge people to stop doing it on public roads because it is dangerous. However, it is totally fine to do it in other places, such as bus stations or parking lots,” he said in a press release.
(Read also: 'Om Telolet Om' phenomenon goes viral)
Budi appreciates young people’s creativity because the phenomenon has made public buses become attractive again. He said that the ministry will make a ‘Bus Telolet’ contest in the future.
The phrase “Om Telolet Om’, a popular Indonesian phrase used by the younger generation has become popular recently. In Indonesian, Om means ‘uncle’ or 'older man', which refers to bus drivers, while ‘telolet’ means to honk the horn of a vehicle. If combined, it literally means “Driver, honk, driver”. (win/dmr)
