Residents Agree to Closure of Railway Crossing in Tebet: But Not All of Them

JAKARTA - Residents in the vicinity agree with the plan to close unofficial crossings scattered along the railway tracks between Tebet Station and Cawang in South Jakarta. One of them, Bela (39), a mother who often uses the unofficial crossing to drop off and pick up her child at Kebon Baru State Elementary School 09. However, to ensure that public access is not completely disrupted, she requests that one crossing be left open. This is because, from Tebet Timur Dalam XI Street to Kebon Baru, motorbike riders have to take a considerable detour via KH Abdul Syafei Street or MT Haryono Street. However, according to another resident, Rahma (27), this is already a risk because the destination is located near the railway tracks, which cannot simply be shortened. Rahma also highlighted the many damaged fences along the tracks, exposing the railway area without guards. According to her, besides being dangerous, these gaps are often used by nearby residents to dispose of rubbish. “There are so many; they don’t want to pay for waste collection, so they throw it there,” said Rahma. Meanwhile, the Public Relations Manager of PT KAI Daop 1 Jakarta, Franoto Wibowo, stated that his side will repair those fences. His side will also coordinate with the Kebon Baru Ward Head and Tebet Sub-District Head to handle the rubbish thrown into the railway area. This year, PT KAI targets closing 52 crossings along the tracks in Daop 1 Jakarta, with nine of them already implemented.