Concerns Over the Road at Serpong Railway Crossing: Recurrent Damage Endangers Riders

THE RAILWAY CROSSING NEAR SERPONG STATION IN SOUTH TANGERANG HAS COME UNDER PUBLIC SCRUTINY FOR ITS DAMAGED AND UNEVEN SURFACE. The condition forces road users to exercise extra caution when crossing, especially in rain when the surface becomes slippery. Kompas.com’s on-site observations on Friday, 6 March 2026, showed the crossing surface littered with small stones and soil. Many road users, both two-wheeled and four-wheeled, slowed their speeds as they passed the spot. Some motorcyclists were seen struggling to keep their balance due to the uneven surface. Despite several repairs, the road condition deteriorates again within a short time. ‘This is actually repaired often, but its durability is not long. Even though it’s repaired continually, it deteriorates again. Always like that, it doesn’t last long,’ Bambang told Kompas.com. He said repairs are usually undertaken only when the road condition is already quite bad. The repair methods used are typically resurfacing or backfilling with stones. ‘It is repaired only when it’s really an emergency; backfilling with stones is usually only temporary,’ he said. A similar view was expressed by Oblong (50), a vegetable trader at Serpong Market. He said the damaged road persisted for quite a long time before it was finally covered with stones. ‘The potholes are deep, but now they’ve been filled and capped with stones. This condition has lasted a long time,’ Oblong said. In addition to slowing vehicles, the damaged road also often endangers motorcyclists, especially when it rains. According to Oblong, the slippery surface makes riders prone to slipping when crossing the crossing.