Mothers Twice Join Bus Pulling Contest in Kalideres: Life's Burden Is Heavier

A bus pulling contest at Kalideres Terminal, West Jakarta, was held festively to commemorate Indonesia’s 81st Independence Day. Residents expressed joy, saying that the weight of the bus was nothing compared to the burden of life.

Ena (41), a ticket cashier for Putra Sulung and Rona Indah buses, said she has participated in the contest twice since last year. “It’s exciting. This is my second time joining the bus pulling contest. I also joined last year. Life’s burden is heavier than the bus’s burden,” Ena said after the event on Sunday (16/8/2026).

Ena admitted that the bus she pulled with her friends was indeed heavy. For that reason, she prepared herself by having a sufficient breakfast. “Oh, it was really heavy. I prepared my energy. Alhamdulillah, I also had breakfast beforehand. But my energy suddenly disappeared because the bus was so heavy,” she explained.

Ena and her 14 friends pulled an Arimbi bus weighing around 8 tonnes and won against the first team. However, for Ena, the prize of basic food packages was not the main priority. “We are not expecting the prize, it’s just for fun, just to enliven the 17th of August,” she said.

Nila (47), another resident who also had an exciting experience pulling an even heavier double-decker bus, said that comparing the burden of life and the bus is a different matter. “Don’t ask about life’s burden. Life’s burden is mental, we just live through it. But this bus, we pull it together. There must be group cooperation,” Nila said.