Sentul Pavements Pockmarked by Rogue Motorcyclists

Pavements along Jalan Alternatif Sentul in Cijujung Village, Sukaraja District, Bogor, West Java, have become pockmarked and damaged. The cause is motorcyclists who frequently ride on the footpath.

Based on observations at the location on Thursday (6/8/2026), a stream of motorcyclists was seen riding on the pavement during the morning school run. From 06.30 WIB, every few minutes a motorcyclist would pass along the pedestrian walkway. The condition of the pavement is visibly destroyed at several points, with broken paving stones and debris scattered around the area.

A local resident, 58-year-old Amir, said the sight of motorcycles riding on the pavement is an everyday occurrence. According to him, the riders only avoid the pavement when police officers are on guard. “If the police are there, they don’t go onto the pavement. They gather here, on the road,” he explained. He noted that the pavement has been damaged for a long time, blaming stubborn motorcyclists. “It was only recently built and it’s already damaged because all the motorbikes go in there. So only when the police are around does it stop,” he added.

Another resident, 70-year-old Amir, who works as an informal traffic guide, said the sight is normal for him. Most of the riders are dropping off schoolchildren. “Yes, usually to drop off school kids. I’m used to seeing it, maybe they are too lazy to turn around because it’s far,” he said.

When asked for comment, one motorcyclist admitted to using the pavement to avoid a long detour. “If I turn around, the road is far,” the rider said. Amir confirmed that motorcyclists dropping off students at a nearby junior high school behind a housing complex are reluctant to make a U-turn because of the distance, so they seek a shortcut. He added that traffic police occasionally guard the area, but many vendors and students still pass through. “Yes, it’s all school children passing. Sometimes there are also vendors, like tempe sellers or others, passing through there,” he said.