Jakarta. The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) said Thursday that it would tighten the standard operating procedures after a logistics vehicle hit several students at an elementary school in North Jakarta.

According to a press release, BGN will implement stricter vehicle-related rules, including a mechanism for backup drivers. At the time of the crash, a backup driver was driving the vehicle. The original driver fell sick a few days ago. The vehicle was delivering the meals part of the government-aided nationwide free meal rollout.

"His replacement had a driver's license and may have been inexperienced. But we are still investigating the cause," BGN's head Dadan Hindayana said.

"Our technical instructions already require vehicles to be inspected every time before being used for deliveries. With this backup driver incident, this has given us a new insight to carefully select the backup drivers with the same qualifications."

Initial police investigations indicated that the vehicle was in good condition. The braking system and engine were functioning properly because the car was a 2024 model. According to the field reports, the replacement driver was suspected of being unwell due to lack of sleep, which led to an error while going uphill.

Dadan also said that eleven victims had returned home.

"Four are being treated at Cilincing Hospital. Seven are being treated here [Koja Hospital], including one teacher. Two of them require intensive care," he said.

One victim is in very stable condition, while the other is being treated intensively by three doctors. 

According to Dadan, the police will take care of the legal matters. The agency will also coordinate with the school in regards to future meal rollouts, as the students might have been traumatized by the incident.

BGN will also have the vehicle replaced by other units for the time being until the evaluation and investigation process is complete.

BGN's spokesperson Khairul Hidayati said that the agency remained committed to conducting a thorough and transparent evaluation.

"BGN expresses its condolences for this incident and ensures that all victims receive the best possible care. We are also conducting an internal investigation with the police to ensure that an incident like this does not happen again," said Hida.

"We are committed to improving all aspects related to SOPs, including the mechanism for changing drivers and checking vehicles, as well as ensuring that MBG service safety standards are implemented to the maximum."

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