Lack of Parking Space Triggers Illegal Parking and Traffic Jams in Senopati, South Jakarta

The scarcity of parking spaces in the entertainment hub of Senopati, South Jakarta, is cited as the primary cause of traffic jams along Jalan Gunawarman to Jalan Suryo. A local resident, Bayu (37), stated that road shoulders are frequently used by valet parking attendants from entertainment venues, resulting in congestion. “Sometimes they just park on the roadside with the valet attendants. I often pass through there and get tired because of the traffic,” Bayu said when met at the location on Wednesday night (22/4/2026). However, the entertainment venue where he works has provided additional parking in the shophouse area of Jalan Wolter Monginsidi, with a capacity of about 20 cars. “Ours is there next to the bank, can fit 20 (cars). There’s also a restaurant that’s usually closed at night and used as parking,” said Hikman when met separately. Based on Kompas.com’s observations at the site, most entertainment spots in the area only offer limited parking, averaging four to five cars in front of the buildings. Consequently, many vehicles are parked on sidewalks and road shoulders. The road section in the area is a one-way route connecting the SCBD area and Jalan Kapten Tendean. However, vehicles parked on both sides of the road disrupt traffic flow. As a result, sidewalks become clearer without vehicles blocking pedestrian access. Vehicles on the shoulders also do not stop for long, making traffic smoother. Unfortunately, this condition does not last long. After the officers leave the location, the sidewalks and road shoulders are again used for parking. Another resident, Andi (53), believes the evening traffic jams in Senopati are caused by the large number of visitors to entertainment venues arriving by car. He hopes for ongoing supervision by joint task forces on parking practices in the area. “There are seven discos here. If there’s no involvement from the Transportation Department, the traffic jams will continue,” he said. Meanwhile, the Head of the Operational Control Section (Dalops) of the South Jakarta Transportation Sub-Department, Alfian Michiels, stated that his side will coordinate with the Parking Management Unit regarding valet parking arrangements. “This is for the regulation of valet parking, which we will communicate again with the relevant unit, in this case, the UPP Parking,” Alfian said after raiding parking in Senopati.