Marunda–Rorotan Road Covered in Red Soil, Many Motorcyclists Fall

JAKARTA — The stretch of road along Jalan Sarang Bango in Marunda to Jalan Malaka in Rorotan, North Jakarta, is covered in red soil, making the road surface slippery and endangering motorists. In the last two days, several riders have reportedly fallen due to these conditions. Based on observations at the site on Tuesday afternoon (31/3/2026), traces of red soil were visible starting from in front of a minimarket on Jalan Sarang Bango. Most of the soil is on the roadside, but its presence is still easily noticeable and potentially disruptive to drivers. Entering Jalan Malaka in Rorotan, remnants of the red soil are still visible up to in front of a building on the left side of the road. At the location, there are warning signs reading “Caution when entering and exiting project vehicles” and “Restricted area, no entry,” indicating ongoing project activities in the surrounding area. The traces of red soil begin to disappear after passing the poultry slaughterhouse owned by the Food Security, Maritime, and Agriculture Agency. Sofyan (40), a local resident, said the road conditions were worse the previous day. “Yesterday morning, the traces were thicker. Now, thankfully, it’s starting to fade, perhaps because of the rain,” he said when met by Kompas.com at the site. He mentioned that the road covered in red soil makes the surface slippery and risks causing accidents. In agreement, Jamal (45), a parking attendant in the area, suspects the soil comes from landfilling activities in the Jalan Malaka area. “There’s landfilling over there (Jalan Malaka). It’s been going on for a while, since the fasting month, I think,” he said. According to Jamal, the number of fallen riders increases when the road becomes dirtier and is hit by rain. “On Monday morning, many fell. On Sunday (29/3/2026), the dirt increased, and then it rained at night, making it even muddier,” he explained.