Bagong (bus company)

The history of PO Bagong's founding is rooted in the long journey of a entrepreneur land transportation named Hari Susilo, who has been involved in the automotive world since the 1980s. The experience he accumulated over the years in this sector served as a strong foundation for his entry into the bus-based transportation business. Through in-depth observation of market needs and industry dynamics, Hari gradually developed a vision to build a transportation company that prioritized safety, comfort, and professionalism in its services.

On September 12, 1994, his dream came true with the establishment of a new bus company named Bagong. The presence of Bagong marked the beginning of Hari's new journey in the world of public transportation. In its early days of operation, this bus company started its intercity bus service within the province (AKDP) by relying on a fleet of medium buses with a capacity of 36 passengers, a step that was considered quite innovative at that time because this configuration was not widely used by other bus companies.^[8]

This bus company has seen rapid growth. Four years after its founding, Bagong has not only remained in the intercity and intercity transportation industry but has also expanded into the mining employee transportation sector. To achieve this, Bagong provides a fleet tailored to the operational characteristics of the industry. This is evident in the development of 4x4 buses specifically designed to withstand the extreme road conditions in mining areas. This innovation not only improves comfort but also serves as a crucial effort to prioritize occupational safety for mining employees.^[7]

Bagong is known as a pioneer in the use of 36-passenger medium buses in Indonesia. The use of this bus type further emphasizes Bagong's position as a company oriented towards innovation and adapting to market needs. In addition to expanding its fleet, the bus company also implements high standards in its recruitment process for bus drivers. Bagong is known for its relatively stringent driver selection system, which includes medical tests and bus driving skills tests. This selection process is part of the company's efforts to maintain service quality and ensure that each driver has competencies that meet safety standards.^[9]

On August 21, 2021, Hari Susilo passed away. The company's continuity remains stable because long before that, Hari had handed over the leadership of PO Bagong to his son, Budi.^[10] Approximately 2.5 months after the leadership transition, precisely on November 2, 2021, Bagong released a fleet of large buses with a capacity of 60 seats to serve the medium-distance AKDP East Java route, namely Surabaya–Trenggalek. At the time of the service's launch, Bagong operated approximately 2,000 buses across Java and Kalimantan. In Kalimantan, the majority of the fleet was used for employee transportation in the mining sector. ^[7]

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the company's operations. Budi Susilo explained that during the pandemic, the number of buses operating was less than 5% of the total number of buses owned. Despite facing significant challenges, the company persevered through operational adjustments and risk management, ensuring service continuity until the situation began to improve. ^[7]

Entering 2022 and beyond, Bagong continues to expand its business scope. In that year, the company acquired PT Kacebe Murni Transport (MTrans) and made it its intercity interprovincial (AKAP) business arm.^[11] The expansive steps continued on March 30, 2023 when Bagong opened a cross-border transportation service (ALBN) with a route from Kupang City, East Nusa Tenggara, to Dili, Timor-Leste. This expansion confirms Bagong's transformation from a regional bus company to a transportation service provider capable of operating at both national and international levels.^[12]

PO Bagong is known as a bus company that consistently maintains its loyalty to bus chassis manufactured by well-known brands such as Mitsubishi Fuso, Mercedes-Benz, and Hino. Furthermore, Bagong also has a reputation as an operator that diligently rejuvenates its fleet to maintain reliability and service quality. One significant step was taken in 2024 when Bagong ordered 29 Hino AK 240 chassis units to strengthen its intercity bus services within the province (AKDP). The AK 240 was chosen based on its characteristics, which utilizes a space-frame chassis with a front-engine configuration, allowing for a more spacious and functional rear trunk space to accommodate large amounts of luggage. ^[13]

Beyond the Hino AK 240, the Bagong fleet also includes a variety of other chassis types tailored to service needs, including AKDP (international transport), tourist buses, and other special needs. At the 2024 Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS), Bagong introduced new AKDP bus units using the Mitsubishi Fuso Canter FE84G BC chassis with Tentrem-made bodies. The presence of this unit demonstrates Bagong's flexibility in utilizing medium chassis for certain routes that require both efficiency and comfort. ^[14]

For the large bus and tourism segments, Bagong also continues to expand its fleet. In September 2024, the company launched a large bus based on the Mercedes-Benz OH 1626 chassis as well as the Hino RM 280 ABS which was introduced in the GIIAS 2025 series.^[15][16] Specifically for the Hino RM 280 ABS, Bagong received 35 units designed to support tourism and long-distance travel services, featuring air suspension, an anti-lock braking system, and a body design that emphasizes passenger comfort and safety.^[16]

In terms of bodywork, PO Bagong relies on a number of well-known Indonesian bodywork companies, particularly Karoseri Tentrem and Laksana. For medium buses, Bagong uses Navigator bodies produced by Tentrem, while for regular large buses, it uses Legacy SR-3 FE bodies from Laksana. Tentrem is also known to have designed several special bodies according to Bagong's needs, such as the Max Facelift which emphasizes an aggressive appearance for AKDP services, as well as the Navigator 4×4 which is specifically designed to face extreme road conditions in mining areas.^[17][18][19]

Bagong's tourist bus fleet consists of medium buses and large buses with more premium specifications and designs. For large tourist buses, Bagong uses the Avante H8 bodywork, while in April 2024 the tourism division also released a new unit with the Jetbus5 bodywork produced by Adi Putro. In addition to the conventionally fueled fleet, Bagong also operates electric buses using the Wintrone Orionis chassis with the eNavigator bodywork, which is the electric version of the Navigator. This electric bus is specifically designed for mining employee transportation, in line with operational needs and sustainability issues.^[15][20][17]

In terms of appearance, PO Bagong has a strong and easily recognizable visual signature. AKDP's regular bus units use a basic white paint pattern combined with orange, purple, and red strokes, as well as star ornaments that decorate the side of the bus body. Meanwhile, the tourist buses appear with a dominant blue color—so often nicknamed "Blue Bagong"—complete with batik motifs and illustrations of four Panakawan characters in Javanese puppetry, namely Semar, Gareng, Petruk, and Bagong, which is the origin of the company's name. The Bagong electric buses are distinguished by their red paint pattern, so that each type of service has a clear and consistent visual identity.^[15][17]

PO Bagong operates the only cross-border service (ALBN) on the Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia–Dili, Timor-Leste route. This service uses non-economy class buses specifically labeled "Cross-Border" on their bodies, emphasizing their role as international transportation. The fleet uses Navigator bodywork manufactured by Karoseri Tentrem with a Mitsubishi Fuso Canter FE84G chassis, powered by a 3,907 cc (238.4 cu in) engine. The presence of the ALBN route is part of PO Bagong's business expansion and has received a positive response from bus enthusiasts and the general public, who hope that this company can open more cross-country routes in the future.^[21]

Since its inception, PO Bagong has focused its business on intercity bus services within the province (AKDP) services in the East Java region. Almost all districts in the province are covered by Bagong's route network, making it one of the operators with extensive service coverage. Malang City, as the location of the company's headquarters, and Surabaya, as the main economic center of East Java, are the main departure points for the Bagong fleet.^[22][23] From these two cities, Bagong serves various important destinations such as Blitar,^[24] Jember^[25], Jombang,^[26] Kediri,^[26][23] Magetan^[27], Ponorogo,^[28] Trenggalek,^[29] and Tulungagung, which connects the centers of economic, educational, and social activities in the region.^[30][31]

In addition to the main AKDP routes, PO Bagong also operates a special route, namely Surabaya–Probolinggo–Lumajang–Kencong–Ambulu, Jember. The buses serving this route have a distinctive purple paint pattern (former PO Ramayana), which distinguishes them from the Bagong fleet on other routes. Interestingly, bus operations on this route run on routes owned by PT Sabar Indah Mulia Perkasa (operating under the Princess Mulia brand) and are implemented through an operational collaboration between the two companies, demonstrating Bagong's flexibility and collaborative strategy in expanding and maintaining its AKDP services in East Java.^[32]

Integrated highway buses operated by Bagong include Trans Batam in Riau Islands^[1], Trans Banjarbakula in South Kalimantan^[2] Trans Palu in Central Sulawesi^[3], and Trans Manado in North Sulawesi^[33]. In addition, Bagong also operates Trans Jatim with the following corridors:

• J2 (Tribhuwana Tunggadewi): Mojokerto–Surabaya^[4]
• J6 (Patih Gajah Mada): Porong–Mojokerto^[5]
• N1 (Gajayana): Malang Hamid Rusdi–Batu via Landungsari^[34][6]

PO Bagong operates the only shuttle bus service on the Batu–Cangar–Mojokerto route. This service uses small buses with a capacity of approximately 15 seats, equipped with air conditioning (AC) for passenger comfort. In terms of appearance, the Bagong shuttle fleet has its own distinctive features, with a green paint scheme combined with yellow and white stripes, distinguishing it from regular Bagong buses, which generally use other colors. The presence of this "shuttle" service is intended to serve passenger mobility on mountain routes and inter-regional connections with short to medium-distance travel.^[35]

In addition to regular transportation and shuttle services, PO Bagong is also developing a tourist bus business unit that provides vehicle rental services for various needs, such as general tourism travel, religious tourism, business visits, to study tours activities. The Bagong tourist bus fleet is managed separately from the regular bus units, which can be recognized by differences in paint patterns. This tourism division serves tourist trips both within and between islands, with a variety of fleet options, ranging from large buses, medium buses, small buses, to passenger vehicles such as Toyota HiAce, so that it can adjust the capacity and travel needs of customers.^[15][36]