Automatic Barriers Installed, So Why Are Residents Still Helping Guard the Ampera Bekasi Crossing?

BEKASI, KOMPAS.com - A number of volunteer residents are still seen standing guard alongside officials from the Bekasi City Transportation Department (Dishub) and TNI Babinsa at the Ampera level crossing, East Bekasi Subdistrict, Bekasi City, West Java, even though automatic barriers and sirens have been installed, on Wednesday (13/5/2026).

Kompas.com observations at the location indicate that vehicle traffic at the crossing remains dense.

Several residents in uniforms are visible helping to regulate traffic and direct drivers when a train passes.

“Even though there are automatic barriers, it seems we’ll still be here. Because the road has become narrower. If not regulated manually, motorbikes will end up scattered on the tracks,” said Ali to Kompas.com when met at the location on Wednesday.

Ali emphasised that the residents on guard are not part of any community organisation or parties forcing drivers to give money when passing.

According to Ali, the residents have been helping to guard the crossing since the 1990s.

Therefore, their presence is still considered helpful to the on-site officials to this day.

“We’ve been doing this from generation to generation here. Unless the government side has prohibited it and we can’t, then we’ll follow those rules,” he said.

“Because we’re paired up, it comes to about 20 people. Some do one hour, some two hours, some four hours. It depends,” Ali added.

He also assessed that drivers are now more orderly and no longer recklessly forcing through the crossing following the train accident in the East Bekasi area at the end of April.

In addition, Ali admitted that the number of vehicles passing through the Ampera crossing has also started to decrease since that accident occurred.