Jakarta. The tourist bus that overturned in West Java and caused 11 deaths on Saturday was found to have no license to carry passengers, with an expired roadworthiness certificate, the Transportation Ministry confirmed on Sunday.

The bus was carrying dozens of vocational school students and their teachers when it veered off the lane and collided with another car on the slope of the Ciater hilly area in Subang regency. It overturned onto its right side and continued to slide, hitting at least three motorcycles in the process.

The death toll included nine students of Lingga Kencana Vocational School in Depok, West Java, a teacher, and a bystander.

Operated by Trans Putera Fajar, the bus “has no license to transport passengers and its roadworthiness certificate expired on December 6, 2023,” according to a statement from the ministry’s Land Transportation Directorate.

Aznal, a spokesman for the directorate, urged the public to check the roadworthiness of transportation vehicles via the Mitra Darat app, which can be downloaded onto their cellphones. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that public vehicles have valid proof of inspection before embarking on a trip.

“The Land Transportation Directorate calls on all bus operators and their drivers to conduct regular inspections on their fleets,” he said.

The news sparked outrage from the Association of Young Land Transportation Entrepreneurs (IPOMI), which questioned how an unlicensed bus could operate freely.

"The fact that an unlicensed bus could operate freely only confirms that the government issues regulations without the ability to supervise their implementation, let alone enforce them," said IPOMI Chairman Kurnia Lesani Adnan on Sunday.

He criticized the police for failing to prevent illegal vehicles from operating on the road and called for an investigation into the tour company that organized the school trip.

The Depok Municipal Government has prepared 10 graves for the nine students and a teacher killed in the tragedy, although the burial location is ultimately up to the families of the deceased.

Workers dug 10 graves at Kali Putih Public Cemetery in Sawangan, Depok, on Sunday, but there was no confirmation that the victims would be buried there.

Police investigations at the scene found no brake marks leading to the point where the bus stopped sliding after hitting an electricity pole, said National Traffic Corps Head Insp. Gen. Aan Suhanan.

"We are thoroughly investigating this accident. The brake system and other functions of the bus will be examined by experts, including engineers from the bus factory," he said.

The bus driver, identified as Sadira, 50, survived the accident with minor injuries.

In a TV news broadcast, Sadira explained that the pneumatic hydraulic brake system failed when the bus descended a slope.

“The brakes suddenly lost air pressure, and from that point, I lost control of my bus,” Sadira recounted from his hospital bed.

He said he initially searched for an escape ramp -- an uphill road designed as a safety measure in the event of brake failure -- but couldn't locate one.

Sadira said that he chose to turn the bus sharply to the right -- causing it to overturn -- to avoid collisions with multiple vehicles downhill, potentially resulting in more catastrophic consequences.

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