Irony of the Manggarai Cycle Path, Turning into a Temporary Rubbish Dump Every Night

JAKARTA — The cycle path on Jalan Dr. Saharjo in Manggarai, South Jakarta, changes function every night into a temporary waste collection site. This condition turns the lane, which should be obstacle-free, into a temporary collection point (TPS). The situation disrupts road users and triggers congestion on the relatively narrow stretch. The cycle path runs along Jalan Dr. Saharjo, which is approximately 2.3 kilometres long from the Manggarai tunnel to the Casablanca intersection or Jalan KH Abdullah Syafei. The first spot is right next to Pasaraya Manggarai, specifically on Jalan Gang Bhakti IV. At this point, every evening around 8:00 p.m. WIB, the cycle path is instead covered with piles of rubbish. Waste collectors flock to this spot with their carts so that the waste can be picked up by trucks from the Jakarta Environmental Agency (DLH). However, rubbish wrapped in plastic often piles up at the location before the waste collectors and DLH trucks arrive. The second spot is at the Manggarai Bus Halt or Taman Infinia. The bus halt, in front of which there is also a cycle path, appears dirty because it becomes a TPS every night. Often, the accumulation of rubbish and the activity of loading it onto trucks disrupts traffic in the surrounding area, especially next to Pasaraya Manggarai. This is because the road at this location is only about six metres wide, which must be traversed by Transjakarta, motorcycles, cars, and other vehicles. Meanwhile, the left side of the road, which should function as a cycle path, is often impassable due to piled-up rubbish or DLH trucks parked for loading. The situation worsens when many drivers go the wrong way from Infinia towards the Manggarai tunnel. “This gets congested at night, the road is narrow, Transjakarta passes through here too, and the cycle path on the left side of the road is used for loading and unloading rubbish, which is disruptive,” said Rudia when interviewed by Kompas.com at the location on Tuesday (21/4/2026). In addition to hindering road access, he is also often bothered by the smell of the piled-up rubbish, especially during loading and unloading with trucks. Meanwhile, cyclist Dani (27) admitted to having difficulty passing next to Pasaraya Manggarai every night because his cycle path is often impassable due to rubbish loading and unloading activities. “Yes, I often pass through here in the morning and at night. At night, there’s a lot of rubbish, and with the collection vehicles, the cycle path next to Pasaraya Manggarai is completely blocked,” he said at the location on Tuesday. He acknowledged that in the morning, the rubbish that previously piled up on the cycle path has already been cleared.