ALS, Indonesia’s Legendary Mass Land Transportation Company, Holds the Longest Bus Routes

 ALS, the Legendary Name in Indonesia’s Mass Land Transportation, Boasts Impressive Routes with the Motto: “Board as a Passenger, Alight as Family”

MEDAN — In Indonesia’s land transportation scene, the name PO ALS (Antar Lintas Sumatera) is nothing short of a living legend. This North Sumatra-based bus company is recognized as one of the pioneers of long-distance bus routes in the country, and once operated the longest route from Sumatra all the way to Java.

The long journey of PO ALS began on September 29, 1966, in Kotanopan, Mandailing Natal, North Sumatra. H. Sati Lubis and several of his merchant relatives founded the company with the spirit of opening up transportation access for the people of Sumatra. However, before becoming a major bus operator, ALS initially operated in the freight transport business, carrying agricultural produce from local communities.

As demand for passenger transportation grew, ALS began operating the Kotanopan–Medan route using a fleet of Chevrolet C50 buses. These American-made buses became witnesses to ALS’s early struggles on the trans-Sumatra roads, which at the time were still full of challenges. It was from here that the name ALS gradually became widely known to the public.

Entering the 1970s, ALS carried out massive expansion. One by one, cities across Sumatra were connected — from Padang, Jambi, Bengkulu, Palembang, and Lampung, all the way to Banda Aceh. Despite road conditions that were far less smooth than today, ALS boldly opened new routes that few other operators had touched.

ALS’s ambition did not stop at Sumatra. When ferry ships became capable of carrying large vehicles in the 1980s, ALS immediately opened routes to Java. The routes were no joke: from Medan to Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Semarang, Surabaya, and even Jember. The journey stretched approximately 2,920 kilometers and could take up to seven days. This earned ALS the nickname of operator of the longest bus route in Indonesia.

Not stopping at Java, ALS even once operated routes all the way to Bali. However, the extreme long-distance journeys eventually led to the discontinuation of that service in 2003, as the fleet at the time was deemed insufficient for such vast distances.

In its heyday, thousands of kilometers of trans-Sumatra roads were filled with ALS buses. These buses were famous not only for their long routes but also for their distinctive identity — often carrying packages stacked high on the roof. The sight of goods piled on top of the buses became an iconic image deeply embedded in the public’s memory.

ALS also built a strong emotional bond with its passengers. There is a very famous slogan among bus enthusiasts: “Naik Sebagai Penumpang, Turun Sebagai Saudara” (“Board as a Passenger, Alight as Family”). This phrase was born because the long journeys allowed crew and passengers to get to know each other over several days on the road. Many passengers eventually became loyal customers, feeling as close to the ALS crew as they would to their own family.

ALS’s popularity even reached the music world. The song titled “Di Loket Ni ALS” popularized by Bonardo Trio is proof that this bus company was not just a means of transportation, but had become part of the culture of Sumatran society.