GIS-Based Road Ledger Boosts Local Revenue and Improves Road Space Oversight in Surabaya

 

 Illustation by AI

 

FORMOSA NEWS - Surabaya - A team of civil engineering researchers from Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya has shown that digitizing road ledgers with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can significantly improve road space management and increase local government revenue. The study, led by Achmad Fathoni with co-authors Budi Witjaksana and Hanie Teki Tjendani, was published in 2026 in the Formosa Journal of Science and Technology. Using a case study on Mastrip Road in Surabaya, the researchers demonstrated that a GIS-based road ledger can strengthen monitoring of road ownership space (Rumija), reduce data gaps, and potentially add nearly IDR 190 million per year to regional income. The findings matter as Indonesian local governments face growing pressure to manage infrastructure more transparently, efficiently, and digitally.

 

Background: Why Road Ledgers Matter Today

Road infrastructure is more than asphalt and traffic flow. Roads are public assets with legal, economic, and social value. In Indonesia, every road authority is required by law to maintain a road ledger, an official record containing technical, geometric, and legal information for each road segment. These ledgers are critical for planning maintenance, regulating roadside activities, and controlling the use of road ownership space, known as Rumija.

In practice, many local governments still rely on manual ledgers, stored as printed books, paper maps, or scattered CAD and spreadsheet files. This approach makes updates slow, data inconsistent, and coordination between agencies difficult. As cities expand and roadside commercial activity increases, weak monitoring of Rumija can lead to safety risks, spatial conflicts, and lost revenue from unregistered businesses.

Digital transformation has become a policy priority in public works and transportation. GIS technology, already used in road safety and asset inventories, offers a way to integrate maps, databases, and administrative records into a single system. However, few implementations directly connect GIS-based road ledgers with monitoring and evaluation of Rumija utilization, especially at the local government level. This gap is what the Surabaya-based research addresses.

 

How the Study Was Conducted

The researchers applied a case study approach focusing on the Mastrip Road section in Surabaya, under the authority of the East Java Provincial Public Works Agency. They collected existing road ledger data from multiple sources, including PDF documents, CAD drawings, Excel files, and photogrammetry.

The core of the work was an Extract–Transform–Load (ETL) process:

·         Existing paper and digital records were inventoried.

·         Data were digitized, standardized, and georeferenced.

·         Information was integrated into a desktop GIS environment.

The team evaluated data quality by checking spatial accuracy and the completeness of key attributes, such as road width, Rumija boundaries, and utilization status. To assess economic feasibility, they calculated Return on Investment (ROI) and Benefit–Cost Ratio (BCR) using official budget data, levy records, and a five-year analysis period aligned with national road ledger update cycles.

 

Key Findings

The GIS-based road ledger produced clear and measurable results:

·         225 roadside business points (JKM) were identified along Mastrip Road.

·         Only 12 points were previously registered in official records.

·         The gap of 213 unregistered points represents significant untapped revenue potential.

·         Estimated additional Regional Original Revenue (PAD) reached IDR 189,591,852 per year.

·         Initial investment costs were calculated at approximately IDR 100 million, with annual operational costs of around IDR 86 million.

·         The economic analysis showed an ROI of 16.56% and a BCR of 1.17, indicating the system is financially feasible.

In terms of data quality, the study found that digitized GIS coordinates were more reliable than older extracted ledger coordinates, supporting the case for full digitization.

 

Implications for Policy and Practice

The findings highlight several real-world benefits for local governments and policymakers:

·     Improved governance: A GIS-based road ledger provides a transparent and up-to-date reference for road space regulation.

·         Higher revenue accuracy: Better identification of roadside activities reduces leakage in levy collection.

·         Operational efficiency: Digital records cut survey time, simplify updates, and support faster decision-making.

·         Scalability: The framework can be replicated on other roads and in other regions.

For urban planners and public works agencies, the study shows that investing in GIS is not just a technical upgrade, but a financially justified policy decision. For businesses and communities, clearer Rumija regulation reduces disputes and improves road safety.

As Achmad Fathoni of Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya explains, a digital road ledger allows local governments to see road space as a managed asset, not just a physical corridor. This shift supports smarter infrastructure management in rapidly growing cities.

 

Author Profile

Achmad Fathoni, M.Eng.
Civil Engineering Researcher
Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya
Field of expertise: road infrastructure management, GIS applications, and transportation planning.

Co-authors Budi Witjaksana, M.Eng. and Hanie Teki Tjendani, M.Eng. are also affiliated with the Civil Engineering Master’s Program at Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya, with research interests in infrastructure systems, spatial analysis, and public works management.

 

Source

Article title: Analysis of Road Ledger Development Based on a Geographic Information System in Monitoring and Evaluation of Road Space Utilization

Journal: Formosa Journal of Science and Technology

Publication year: 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/fjst.v5i1.395