Plywood Truck Overturns on Silayur Climb in Semarang

Semarang - A traffic accident occurred again on the Silayur incline, Ngaliyan District, Semarang City, on Wednesday morning (22/4/2026). A three-axle truck loaded with plywood overturned after reportedly failing to climb the slope while traveling from the lower direction toward Mijen.

The incident, which took place at around 06:43 WIB, adds to the long list of accidents in the Silayur area. This location has long been a public concern due to the heavy activity of large trucks.

Head of the Traffic Enforcement Sub-Unit of Semarang Police Resort, Iptu Rio Widianto, confirmed the incident. According to him, the overturned truck temporarily blocked the uphill lane, prompting the police to immediately implement traffic engineering at the scene.

“The truck, which was carrying plywood, was heading uphill from below but couldn’t make it and overturned. To ease the congestion, we temporarily converted the downhill lane into two-way traffic,” said Iptu Rio when contacted on Wednesday (22/4/2026).

As a result of the accident, traffic flow along the Ngaliyan route experienced severe congestion. Based on social media reports, drivers reported long vehicle queues stretching all the way to the Kedungpane Prison area.

As of the time this news was published, the evacuation process was still ongoing, carried out by towing teams already on standby at the location. Light rain or drizzle was reported in the Ngaliyan area, so road users are advised to remain extra cautious.

“The tow truck has arrived and evacuation is currently underway. We hope the evacuation goes smoothly and traffic returns to normal soon,” added Iptu Rio.

This accident has once again raised concerns among local residents, as the Silayur climb is a busy route frequently used by three-axle trucks, despite similar accidents often occurring at this spot.

Aptrindo Jateng-DIY: Don't Blame the Trucks, This Is the Root of the Problem

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The latest incident involved a three-axle truck loaded with plywood that overturned while climbing the slope from the lower direction toward Mijen on Wednesday morning (22/4/2026).

The accident, which occurred at approximately 06:43 WIB, has added to the long list of crashes on this route, which is known for its heavy truck traffic.

In response to this situation, the Regional Board of the Indonesian Truck Entrepreneurs Association (Aptrindo) for Central Java and Yogyakarta Special Region believes the problem in the Silayur area cannot be viewed in isolation by simply blaming the trucks.

Deputy Chairperson of the Aptrindo DPD for Central Java–DIY, Dedy Untoro Harli, emphasized that the presence of trucks on this route is part of the goods distribution activities to industrial areas, including the BSB Industrial Park.

“As long as there is no delivery order (DO), there is no way trucks would pick up or deliver goods in that direction. Trucks pass through because there is indeed a need for distribution. There is an industrial area there, and this also needs to be the government’s attention—whether the area will continue to operate or not,” he said when met by Indoraya.News in Semarang on Wednesday (22/4/2026).

According to him, if industrial activities were stopped, the flow of trucks would automatically decrease. However, such a step could trigger a domino effect on other sectors that depend on logistics distribution.

“For example, goods like lightweight bricks, if delivered using small vehicles from factories outside the city, the volume that can be transported is limited and the cost becomes high. That is why using trucks is the preferred option to make distribution costs more efficient,” he explained.

Dedy also touched on the issue of Over Dimension Over Load (ODOL), which he said is closely related to distribution costs. He stressed that law enforcement must be carried out comprehensively, including toward cargo owners.

“As long as we are asked to transport goods according to the rules, we are ready. However, the freight rates must also be adjusted accordingly. So far, only the transporters are being pressured, while cargo owners are rarely reminded,” he asserted.

On the other hand, the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) has also highlighted the high number of accidents on the Silayur descent and has submitted several recommendations to the Semarang City Government, both for the short term and medium term.

For short-term measures, KNKT is urging companies in the BSB area to conduct daily inspections of heavy vehicles before operation, especially on the braking system. In addition, routine ramp checks need to be carried out to ensure vehicle roadworthiness in the field.

KNKT also emphasized the importance of safety socialization for vehicle owners, particularly regarding the prohibition of carrying loads beyond capacity (overload).

Supervision of restrictions on the operating hours of heavy vehicles during the day has also received attention, including the need for traffic engineering at vulnerable points, such as opening the road median in the descent area.

Equally important, the completeness of road facilities such as warning signs, prohibitions, and orders must be improved to support road user safety.

For the medium term, KNKT recommends the provision of an Emergency Stopping Lane (JPD) as a preventive measure in case of brake failure.

In addition, the government is encouraged to prepare safer alternative routes in accordance with the Road Geometric Design Guidelines (PDGJ).

KNKT even suggested that additional industrial activities in the BSB area be temporarily halted until adequate alternative routes are available. Replanning of spatial zoning is also considered important to prevent overlap between industrial areas and residential neighborhoods.

Responding to KNKT’s recommendations, Dedy (Deputy Chairperson of Aptrindo DPD Central Java–DIY) stated that truck entrepreneurs have basically been carrying out routine vehicle maintenance, including on the braking system.

However, he believes many accidents are actually triggered by human error factors, such as driver negligence or lack of experience in dealing with extreme terrain.

“For routes with extreme terrain like steep descents, experienced drivers are required. If not, the risk of operational errors will increase and can cause damage to the brake system,” he explained.

He added that brake damage on trucks generally does not occur at the start of the journey, but emerges on the road due to operational errors.

“Vehicle maintenance is actually carried out routinely, but many cases happen because of human error,” he concluded.