Motorcycle Riders Frequently Ride Against Traffic on Bekasi Main Road, Causing Accidents

JAKARTA — Several motorcycle riders frequently travel against the flow of traffic on Jalan Raya Bekasi in Cakung heading towards Pulogadung, East Jakarta.

Ali, 59, a local resident, stated that riders travelling against the traffic typically do so during morning rush hour when people are heading to work.

“Riding against the flow usually happens in the morning when people are heading to work. It’s been like this for a long time. When there are many large trucks, it’s very dangerous for riders,” said Ali on Jalan Raya Cakung on Monday (2 March 2026). “I’ve witnessed accidents, but strangely the person at fault becomes more aggressive, so I just separate them to avoid trouble on the road. I’ve often helped people who have fallen.”

A similar account was provided by Tuti, 45, a shopkeeper on Jalan Raya Bekasi. She explained that riders travel against traffic on the Bekasi to Pulogadung route when congestion occurs.

“In the morning and if there’s congestion heading from Bekasi to Pulogadung, riders go against the traffic. In the afternoon, it’s rarely seen,” she said.

She added that whilst traffic officials frequently patrol Jalan Raya Bekasi, motorcyclists resume riding against traffic once the officers are no longer present.

“The officials are sometimes there, but when the transportation or police officers aren’t around, riders go against traffic again. It’s usually less during the daytime,” she explained.

According to Kompas.com observations at approximately 10:40 WIB, several riders continued to travel against traffic despite the road being used by large trucks.

This behaviour is considered a serious safety hazard for both the perpetrators and other road users.

Meanwhile, traffic flow from Pulogadung towards Bekasi was observed to be smooth, whilst the opposite direction was quite congested.