THE IMPACT OF OIL PALM PLANTATION TO THE ROAD CONDITIONS IN THE PROVINCE OF BENGKULU

Bengkulu is one of the provinces in Sumatra with an area of 21.168 km².  It is on the southwest coast of the island of Sumatra, and borders the Provinces of West Sumatra, Jambi, South Sumatra and Lampung. The capital and largest city is Bengkulu city. This area, largely functioned as agricultural land. This makes Bengkulu, also known as the plantation areas which has vast and fertile agricultural land. Some agricultural products derived from Bengkulu are Coffee, Cocoa, Oil Palm and Rubber. Unfortunately, much of this agricultural production was not matched with adequate infrastructure. One of the important facility is the road that used as a means of  outcomes plantation transport . This condition is very concerning because more than half of the roads in Bengkulu have been damaged.

 

Base on the table we can see that the increase in palm oil production in Bengkulu Province matched by a reduction in the percentage of poor people. In the last five years, an increase in palm oil production in Bengkulu province are quite significant. When in 2006 the production  as much as 373.815 tons, in 2010 the production of palm oil increased by almost 100 percent to reach 615.624 tons (Source: Statistics of  Indonesia Plantation 2009-2011). Whereas, the percentage of poverty in the Province of Bengkulu the steadily declining from year to year. When in 2006,  23% of the population of Bengkulu is in the poor category, by 2010 this number was reduced to 18.30%. This occurs because in this time more people are interested in farming  palm oil to get  the potential income which is very promising.  Previously, farmers in Bengkulu focus on coffee, rubber and cocoa. But in a last decade they switched become oil palm farmers.

The amount of land used for oil palm plantation reached 224.651 hectares in 2010. There are owned by People: 165.627 hectares,  Goverment Plantation: 4.725 hectares,  and Private Plantation: 183.964 hectares. Beside, there are also Processing Plant Oil Palm Plantation that owned by the Private. It can be seen, that most of the oil palm plantations in Bengkulu Province are owned by the private sector. So, that is very reasonable if Bengkulu Province became one seed production centers of palm oil and crude palm oil in Southern Sumatra. Plantation centers are spread evenly in South Bengkulu regency, North Bengkulu, Bengkulu City, Seluma, Kaur and the largest area in Muko-Muko regency. To support the production of palm oil, it would require adequate infrastructure especially roads for the distribution of this  product into neighboring areas where the processing of this raw material done. Actually, the crude palm oil in  Bengkulu also being exported to Thailand and the other countries.

Bengkulu Province has Nine regency and a town. For the infrastructure, Bengkulu has States Road, Provincial Road and there are also Road of Regency/city. Based on the classification of the average, the existing roads is limited to class IIIA of arterial or collector roads  which is passable by motor vehicles, including load ≤ 2.50 m width and length ≤ 18 m and maximum load ≤ 8 Tons. As for state roads located in the province of Bengkulu, a reasonable maximum capacity of 12 tons. So the load conditions of transport of palm oil production and mining reached which more than 25 tons, it can easily causing the damage of road even immediately after they pass the road.

The three main causes of road damage are the transport burden that exceeds of heaviest required by the class streets,  a continuous or repetitive transport, as well as the aging of the road, such as roads with age plan is only 10 years but until the past 10 years still has not being repaired. In the end of 2010,  from 1,500 km of roads in the Province of Bengkulu about 61% in damaged condition. Including National roads which is 67% of 960 km also in damaged condition. The damage is divided into 3 categories, heavily damaged, medium and minor damage. This percentage indicates that more than half of the roads in the Province of Bengkulu in damaged condition. Damage to roads is also affecting people's economic condition because of access to transportation and distribution of goods to be hampered. The length of travel time resulting in increased transportation costs and take effect on the price increases in areas that far from the city center. Though the state budget funds are managed SKPD for maintenance of national roads every year is big enough that in 2008 amounted to Rp 46 billion, amounting to Rp 48 billion in 2009 and 2010 increased to Rp 61 billion but this repairs does not occur efficiently. The damaged roads are so slow to be repaired so that the condition is getting worse.

This condition becomes a prolonged problem in the province of Bengkulu and require immediate settlement. Palm oil has increased the community's economy and also became the leading sectors to earn foreign exchange area. In fact, the Institute of Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board, has set the Palm Oil as a Commodity in the regions as the main investment options in the Province of Bengkulu. But on the other hand, the increased production of palm oil is also an impact on increasing the flow of distribution of his products through the streets of Bengkulu. As a result, damage to roads can no longer inevitable and raises issues that are very disturbing for the people of Bengkulu. Access to good and convenient transportation becomes an important factor as welfare indication of the population.

Although the increased production of palm oil results in improving people's welfare, but it also affects the damage to roads that has become the main means of transportation in the Province of Bengkulu. Government as the policy holder, faced with the issues that should be able to benefit both parties, farmers and public road users. Truck transporting palm oil yields, certainly can not be stopped because it is a livelihood for the majority of the farming community in Bengkulu. The streets that are damaged also should be a development priority  because this is an indication of progress in an area. (Ahmad Medapri H)