Transportation Ministry to Ban Telolet Horns on Public Roads

Jakarta – Indonesian Ministry of Transportation has appealed to every bus operator not to use telolet horns which are considered dangerous and violate the rules.

Director of Road Transportation Facilities at the Ministry of Transportation, Danto Restyawan said that rule based on the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT).

"It explained that the use of telolet horns could cause the air supply to run out and make brake function less than optimal," he said in a statement on Wednesday.

Meanwhile in 2022, the KNKT stated that telolet horns were dangerous and had been the cause of many accidents.

On this basis, the KNKT recommended to the Ministry of Transportation to ban telolet horns on trucks and buses.

Dangerous telolet horns are those whose installation takes pneumatic power from the brake system's air tube.

The air pressure from the braking system is used to produce the loud sound of the telolet horn.

An example of an accident due to a telolet horn happened in the severe truck incident in Cibubur in 2022. This truck used air over hydraulic brakes and had a telolet horn.

The solenoid valve component, which KNKT said was an aftermarket item, was torn causing the brake system to lose air. It can be one of the causes of brake failure and accidents.

Restyawan said that there had been a circular to the regional transportation department to pay attention to telolet horns on every public transportation.

"The Directorate General of Land Transportation has issued a circular to all Transportation Services throughout Indonesia to pay more attention and check the use of additional components such as telolet horns on every public transport when carrying out periodic tests," Restyawan stated.

He also said that examiners who carry out periodic tests are advised not to give approval to public transport that installs telolet horns.