South Tangerang City Government Urges Repair of Street Lights to Prevent Crime

South Tangerang Deputy Mayor Pilar Saga Ichsan stressed that non-functional public street lighting (PJU) on provincial and national roads must be addressed urgently to prevent accidents and crime.

“Many PJU on national and provincial roads are inactive. This requires immediate upgrading to curb accident and crime rates,” Pilar said in Tangerang on Sunday.

Pilar explained that as a transit area, national and provincial roads in South Tangerang are busy 24/7, making street lighting crucial for residents’ safety and comfort during nighttime activities.

“Many residents engage in nighttime activities, so adequate street lighting is essential to prevent accidents, especially during rain,” he added.

He stated that the condition of PJU on provincial and national roads had been raised with Banten Governor Andra Soni during a recent coordination meeting. The South Tangerang City Government supports accelerating efforts, as functional street lights benefit local businesses and economic activities.

He noted that strategic areas in South Tangerang, such as Ciputat and Pamulang, require upgrades and replacement of street lights due to many non-functional PJU units.

“The South Tangerang City Government supports the Governor’s push to expedite the ministry’s efforts to optimise PJU installation across Banten Province,” he added.

Previously, Banten Governor Andra Soni stated that approximately 8,000 street lighting points are needed across strategic national road sections.

Data shows Banten’s national roads span around 567.9 kilometres across eight regencies and cities, with the longest sections in Lebak and Pandeglang regencies.

Banten Transportation Department Head Tri Nurtopo said many national road sections under central government jurisdiction still lack adequate street lighting.

Tri also noted varying management models for street lights. For those built by the central government, electricity costs are covered by local governments or private companies.

He added that the Banten Provincial Government currently covers electricity costs for thousands of provincial street lights. Moving forward, national road PJU management will be strengthened through collaboration between local governments and the local Land Transportation Management Agency (BPTD), representing the central government.

“We have been paying the bills so far—nearly Rp4 billion annually for around 5,000 lights. A memorandum of understanding between regency governments and BPTD is already in place, such as in Lebak Regency,” he said.