Street Lights Out on Mataram Bypass to Gajah Mada Road, Residents Complain

Residents have complained about street lights (LPJU) along the Mataram-Gerung Bypass road extending to Jalan Gajah Mada, specifically in Jempong Baru village, Sekarbela district, Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). The street lights have been non-functional for several days.

The non-functioning street lights have prompted complaints from residents who frequently travel along the Mataram-Gerung Bypass road to Jalan Gajah Mada. The darkened conditions have raised safety concerns for passing vehicles.

“The lights go out very often there, sometimes every week without fail. Just last night when I was returning from evening prayers during Ramadan, it was extremely dark, so many vehicles were moving slowly because of the darkness,” said Putra, a Mataram resident, on Wednesday (25 February 2026).

Another Mataram resident, Tiara, also complained about the pitch-black conditions on Jalan Gajah Mada due to the non-functional street lights. Tiara initially thought there was a widespread power outage because the lights were out.

“I thought there was a widespread blackout, but it turned out the street lights were just not working. It feels like they went out just recently too. I hope the relevant authorities can fix the lights soon. It’s really dangerous if it stays pitch-black like this,” Tiara lamented.

The head of Mataram’s Transportation Department (Dishub), Zulkarwin, assured residents that an immediate inspection of the street lights on the Mataram-Gerung Bypass road extending to Jalan Gajah Mada would be conducted. “We will attend to this immediately, perhaps there are complications with the lights due to the weather. Reports indicate that repairs have been hindered by bad weather. We will check today,” Zulkarwin said when contacted.

Zulkarwin predicted that the non-functional street lights on the Mataram-Gerung Bypass road extending to Jalan Gajah Mada were caused by strong winds that have occurred over recent days.

“There was likely strong wind and heavy rain, which caused electrical connectors to become loose due to tree friction rubbing against cables, resulting in short circuits,” Zulkarwin explained.

Observations on Tuesday night (24 February 2026) confirmed that street lights along the Bypass road to Jalan Gajah Mada were completely out. There was no lighting whatsoever, creating pitch-black conditions. Occasional vehicle horns could be heard as drivers attempted to avoid accidents.