TULUNGAGUNG – Tulungagung government continues expanding its free school transportation program. Officials hope the service can reduce student traffic accidents and improve safe access to education.
The Transportation Agency launched the free school bus program in 2016. Today, the service covers several districts through school buses and public minivans. The program mainly serves elementary, junior high, and senior high school students.
Oki Sakti Nugrahajati, head of transportation and facilities at the Tulungagung Transportation Agency, said the administration currently operates nine school buses and 33 public passenger vehicles.
“We currently operate nine school buses and 33 public transport vehicles. The routes cover Kalidawir, Ngunut, Ngantru, Campurdarat, Sendang, and Pagerwojo,” Oki said.
The agency adjusts operational schedules to match school hours so students can travel safely and arrive on time. Some vehicles begin operating as early as 5 a.m. because several students live far from the city center.
“By 6 a.m., the vehicles must already be on the road because some areas sit quite far from town,” he explained.
The Transportation Agency also designed the program to reach mountainous and remote areas with narrow roads. Instead of large buses, officials use public minivans to transport students in districts such as Sendang and Karangrejo.
“For mountainous regions, we use smaller public transport vehicles. We also provide services toward Sendang and Karangrejo,” Oki added.
Local authorities introduced the free transportation initiative to improve road safety among students. Officials hope the program can reduce the number of teenagers who ride motorcycles to school, especially junior high school students who often face higher traffic risks.
Beyond transportation access, the program also creates a coordinated monitoring system for parents, drivers, and students. Drivers and families communicate through dedicated messaging groups that help them monitor departure and pick-up schedules every day.
“Everything is free, including pick-up and drop-off services. We also created communication groups between drivers and students so everyone can monitor schedules more easily,” Oki said.
The Tulungagung Transportation Agency has also opened opportunities to expand routes and add more vehicles if schools submit official requests. According to Oki, schools can propose new services based on student numbers and transportation needs in their areas.
“If schools submit requests and the number of students is large enough, we can facilitate additional services. Schools can send proposals directly to the Transportation Agency,” he explained.
Officials expect more families to use the free transportation service in the future as part of broader efforts to improve student safety and reduce traffic accidents involving young riders.
“We hope this program can help reduce student traffic accidents, especially among junior high school students, so they can travel to school more safely,” Oki said.