Java Island's Road Length Reached 104,000 km in 2020

To accelerate the flow of goods and people from one region to another, road infrastructure is needed. Road conditions on Java Island are relatively better, resulting in smoother transportation costs for both people and goods compared to other regions.

The Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) recorded the length of roads on Java Island to be 104,005.3 km. The details are as follows: 5,916 km are under the authority of the central government (national), 7,066 km under the authority of the provincial government, and 91,071 km under the authority of the regency/city governments.

In Banten Province, there are 5,705 km of roads, with details of 565 km under national authority, 762 km under provincial government authority, and 4,78 km under city/regency government authority. Then in Jakarta, there are 6,492 km, with details of 60 km under central government authority and 6,432 km under provincial authority.

In West Java, there are 27,490 km of roads, consisting of 1,789 km under national authority, 2,361 km under provincial authority, and 23,340 km under regency/city government authority. In Central Java, there are 30,667 km of roads, with details of 1,518 km under national authority, 2,501 km under provincial authority, and 26,648 km under regency/city authority.

Next, in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, there are 4,361 km, with details of 248 km under national authority, 783 km under provincial government authority, and 3,330 km under regency/city government authority. In East Java, there are 41,535 km, with details of 2,361 km under central government authority, 1,421 km under provincial government authority, and 37,753 km under regency/city government authority.

The history of road construction on Java Island began during the Dutch colonial era. Governor-General Herman Willem Daendels (1808-1811) built approximately 1,000 km of roads from Anyer, Serang Banten to Panarukan, Situbondo Regency, East Java. This land route, known as Anyer-Panarukan, passed through Serang, Jakarta, Bogor (Puncak), Cianjur, Bandung, Sumedang, and Cirebon.

The roads built by Daendels also passed through Central Java, such as Brebes, Pekalongan, Batang, Semarang, and Lasem, Rembang Regency. Daendels' roads also passed through East Java, such as Tuban, Gresik, Surabaya, Probolinggo, and ended in Panarukan, Situbondo Regency.

The purpose of construction during the colonial era was certainly not for the benefit of the people, but to facilitate the mobilization of military logistics and troops to defend Java from British control and suppress indigenous uprisings.