Enviro News Asia, Jakarta – Indonesia’s Minister of Environment and Head of the Ministry of Environment and Environmental Control Agency of Indonesia, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, has instructed authorities to prepare a legal investigation into waste management violations found at several rest areas along the Trans-Java Toll Road.
The instruction followed the minister’s monitoring visit on the first day of inspections along the Jakarta–Semarang corridor, where several rest areas were found to have inadequate waste management facilities and had not fully implemented earlier directives from the ministry.
During the inspection, the minister highlighted that rest areas serve millions of travelers and are particularly critical ahead of the annual Eid al-Fitr homecoming travel period, making proper environmental management essential for public cleanliness and comfort.
According to the ministry, each rest area operator is required to manage its own waste, including providing proper facilities, sorting waste by type, and ensuring regular waste collection. However, some operators were found to have not taken the issue seriously, raising concerns about environmental governance and visitor convenience.
Hanif warned that operators must immediately implement corrective measures. He noted that administrative sanctions had already been imposed previously, and failure to demonstrate concrete improvements could lead to legal proceedings.
He stated that the ministry would summon the responsible operators for questioning in April if no progress is made, which could lead to the formal investigation stage.
The minister also recalled that the same locations had been inspected in December 2025, when recommendations were issued to improve waste management systems. The latest findings suggest that several operators have yet to fully comply with those recommendations.
In addition to enforcement measures, the minister stressed the importance of public education in maintaining cleanliness. He said that providing waste facilities alone is insufficient unless visitors are encouraged to dispose of waste properly and separate it according to categories.
The ministry urged rest area managers to take immediate action by installing adequate waste management facilities, implementing waste separation systems, ensuring regular waste transportation, and strengthening public awareness campaigns.
Through these measures, the government aims to ensure that rest areas along the Trans-Java Toll Road remain clean, safe, and environmentally friendly for travelers. (*)
