Portrait of Jakarta's Tangled Cables: Hanging Low, Disrupting Traffic and Threatening Lives

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com — Tangled utility cables have become a daily nuisance along Jalan Tanjung Pura in Kalideres, West Jakarta. Kompas.com observations at the site on Tuesday morning (14/4/2026) revealed that the cables on this residential road were disorderly, slack, and dangling so low they nearly touched the ground. Bundles of these utility cables were even left crossing and resting directly on residents’ rooftops, raising particular concerns. Hendra (37), a local resident, said the tangled cables have persisted for years, seemingly ignored by authorities or utility owners. The narrow road, combined with low-hanging cables, frequently causes them to get caught on box trucks carrying loads from factories in the Kalideres industrial area. He recounted that on Monday night (13/4/2026), a truck got snagged on the dangling cables again, causing them to snap and briefly disrupting traffic flow. “It usually happens at the bend; last night, the cables were tangled there too. When it met another vehicle, it swerved, but got caught because the cables were hanging so low,” said Hendra. Typically, truck assistants resort to using bamboo and makeshift tools to manually untangle the cables to pass through. Hendra expressed confusion over the constant passage of large loaded vehicles on the narrow road from morning till night.