Jakarta's Never-Ending Traffic Jams...

In Jakarta, traffic jams are no longer mere incidents on the road but a relentless daily routine. Every afternoon into the evening, vehicles pile up, time stretches out, and journeys turn into uncertain waits. On Wednesday night (8/4/2026), the roads from Bendungan Hilir to Palmerah seemed directionless. Brake lights glowed red without respite, extending nearly 3.8 kilometres from Jalan KH Mas Mansyur in Tanah Abang to Jalan Letjen S. Parman in Slipi. Many drivers pulled over, waiting for the jam to ease, then returned to the road all at once. At the same time, city transport vehicles stopped at the roadside, narrowing the space for other vehicles. Traffic slowly turned into a long queue that was difficult to disentangle. The congestion began to be felt from exiting the Tanah Abang underpass towards Stasiun Karet. It briefly eased around TPU Karet Bivak, but the flow stalled again at the Bendungan Hilir intersection to Pejompongan. At this point, drivers had to pass through red lights two to three times before they could truly move forward. Horns blared in response, while a light drizzle fell. Amid the density, Yosafat (30), an online motorcycle taxi passenger, experienced firsthand how traffic jams have become part of the routine. “If I’m holding off on going home because I’m waiting for the rain to stop, it seems like many motorbikes are doing the same, so they pile up and cause jams,” said Yosafat.