Residents Redraw Missing Tebet Zebra Crossing, a Jab at the Government

The initiator of the zebra crossing redrawing on Jalan Soepomo in Tebet, South Jakarta, Ijoel, stated that the action of repainting the pedestrian crossing towards Pasar Minggu is a form of criticism against the government. He assessed that the government has yet to repaint the zebra crossing that has been missing since 2025. In addition to maintaining the characteristic black-and-white colours of the road crossing, the zebra crossing was also adorned with colourful elements featuring Pac-Man game characters. This type of critical action is not the first time it has been carried out by Ijoel. He often uses white spray paint to mark damaged and potholed roads. Specifically for the zebra crossing in Tebet, according to Ijoel, its appearance would be more appealing if given an artistic touch. He even invited art activists to collaborate. In this action, Ijoel brought white spray paint, while the art activist named Kemas used colourful spray paint. Ijoel emphasised that, despite the artistic touch, the function of the zebra crossing remains the primary consideration. Therefore, the illustrations were not made too prominent. “That’s why we drew the zebra crossing 70 percent more visible. If it’s smaller, the functional value of the zebra crossing is lost,” explained Ijoel. Meanwhile, Kemas said the paint used is estimated to last only about one month. “Because this paint is intended for walls or motorbikes, it can’t be used on roads, especially without coating. Compared to the government’s, that’s not ordinary paint, but a mixture with rubber that’s then burned,” explained Kemas. Kemas admitted to sharing the same concerns as Ijoel, so he immediately agreed to the invitation to draw the zebra crossing.