Driver Fails to Appear, Officers Tow Car Parked on Sidewalk in Jalan Medan Merdeka

JAKARTA - A car parked on the sidewalk of Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan in Central Jakarta was towed by DKI Jakarta Transportation Agency (Dishub) officers during Labour Day celebrations in 2026, on Friday (1/5/2026). Kompas.com observations at the location at 07.17 WIB showed the grey car parked on the sidewalk leading to the IRTI Monas area. The car appeared locked with no driver or passengers inside. Officers peered through the windows but found the interior empty. “Car, car, whose car is this? Don’t park here,” shouted one officer. However, there was no response. The vehicle owner did not appear despite repeated calls. Shortly after, a traffic warden vehicle arrived. The Dishub DKI-stickerred vehicle prepared to haul away the car deemed to disrupt traffic order. DKI Jakarta Dishub officer Salim said his team had been monitoring the vehicle since morning. However, up to that point, there were no signs of the owner arriving. “I’ve been looking around, no one’s there. I’ve been watching this since morning. People should obey the rules if parking anywhere isn’t allowed,” Salim told Kompas.com. “I was told by Paspampres to tow it because it’s blocking the road; this is a Labour Day action and the President will be there,” he said. Salim mentioned that his team had repeatedly urged the public not to park haphazardly, both through social media and directly in the field. However, similar violations still frequently occur. “We’ve given warnings many times. On social media, directly, but it’s still hard to get through,” he said. After being towed, the vehicle is planned to be moved to an official parking location provided by the government, namely Lapangan Banteng or the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) area. For information, the May Day commemoration will be held at Monas in Central Jakarta on Friday (1/5/2026). President of the All-Indonesian Labour Confederation (KSPSI), who is also the May Day committee chairman, Andi Gani Nena Wea, said there will be 400,000 participants from workers and online motorcycle taxi drivers. In addition, President Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to attend the event starting at 08.00 WIB.