TULUNGAGUNG – Gondang 1 Bridge closure has forced transportation officials in Tulungagung to modify school bus services for students living near the Tulungagung-Trenggalek border.
The temporary change affects dozens of students who depend on the free transportation program operated by the Tulungagung Transportation Agency. Authorities introduced the new arrangement after workers fully closed the bridge for demolition and reconstruction activities.
Oki Sakti Nugrahajati, Head of Transportation and Facilities at the Tulungagung Transportation Agency, said the Gondang route will temporarily end at the Gondang Police Station. The agency chose the location because large buses cannot travel safely through the available alternative roads.
Officials have already informed students and parents about the change through existing communication groups. The agency expects the revised route to remain in place throughout the bridge closure period.
Before the closure, the school bus traveled to Kalitelu, an area near the Tulungagung–Trenggalek border. Students from surrounding villages relied on the service to reach schools in Tulungagung.
However, drivers now need to use narrow local roads to access the area. Those roads do not meet operational requirements for large buses. Several sections also provide very limited space for vehicles to turn or pass safely.
Oki said transportation officials reviewed the alternative routes before making their decision. They concluded that sending large buses through the smaller roads would create unnecessary risks for students and drivers.
The agency also studied another option. Officials considered replacing the large buses with smaller Elf minibuses. However, capacity limitations prevented the plan from moving forward.
An Elf minibus can carry only 14 to 18 passengers at a time. Meanwhile, the Gondang route serves around 25 to 30 students every school day. The smaller vehicles would leave some students without transportation.
As a result, students from Kalitelu and nearby communities must now travel to the Gondang Police Station to access the service. Parents are expected to help transport their children to the pickup point using motorcycles or other small vehicles that can still pass through local roads.
Most passengers on the route are junior and senior high school students who study in Tulungagung’s urban area. Several students from Islamic junior high schools also use the free bus service.
The Transportation Agency will continue monitoring conditions around the bridge project. Officials plan to evaluate the route throughout the construction period. If they identify a safe and practical alternative, they may extend the service closer to its previous destination.
For now, the agency will maintain the temporary endpoint at the Gondang Police Station. Officials say student safety remains their top priority while work on Gondang 1 Bridge continues.