Will 'Park on the Street' Solve Cawang's Chronic Congestion?

Congestion on Jalan Mayjen Sutoyo in Cawang, East Jakarta, caused by vehicles parking on the carriageway, has once again drawn public attention. The Transportation Agency (Dishub) has issued a new strategy to untangle the traffic: regulated on-street parking.

Dishub is implementing an on-street parking concept at specific points and times along Jalan Mayjen Sutoyo. This policy was established because many vehicles park beyond the designated capacity and fail to comply with the prescribed parking lines. The question remains whether this on-street parking concept will successfully resolve the chronic congestion in Cawang. A number of netizens have uploaded videos showing cars occupying the road space on Jalan Mayjen Sutoyo, making gridlock unavoidable.

The East Jakarta Transportation Sub-agency (Sudinhub) and the DKI Jakarta Transportation Agency’s Parking Management Unit are implementing on-street parking on Jalan Mayjen Sutoyo. Head of Sudinhub East Jakarta, Harlem Simanjuntak, stated that the on-street parking concept has undergone a year-long study. He added that trials were conducted from February to November 2025, and QRIS payment testing was carried out in February 2026.

‘Sudinhub East Jakarta is following up on public reports regarding parking conditions on Jalan Mayjen Sutoyo. We need to clarify that this road section does have on-street parking arrangements at specific points and times,’ Harlem explained on Thursday (25/6/2026). ‘However, violations are still found in the field, namely vehicles parking beyond capacity and not in accordance with the designated parking lines,’ he continued.

He detailed that on the west side of Jalan Mayjen Sutoyo, heading towards Tanjung Priok, on-street parking is implemented with a 45-degree angled parking pattern limited to a single row, except between 06:00 and 10:00 WIB. This area has a capacity for 95 cars and 200 motorcycles. The capacity is spread across three segments: from the front of the Primajasa bus pool to the PT ASABRI (Persero) office; from the front of the PT ASABRI office to the SMEA 6 Street junction; and from the SMEA 6 Street junction to the Ministry of Social Affairs office.

Meanwhile, on the east side of Jalan Mayjen Sutoyo heading towards Cililitan, on-street parking is implemented with a parallel parking pattern. This arrangement does not apply between 16:00 and 20:00 WIB. ‘This area has a capacity of 26 cars on the section from Jalan Bersama to the BKN Bus Stop, with a parking area length of approximately 130 metres,’ he said.

Harlem stated that the signs installed at the location refer to Minister of Transportation Regulation Number 13 of 2014. Based on this regulation, the parking prohibition on the east side applies on working days, Monday to Friday, from 16:00 to 20:00 WIB. Outside these hours, vehicles are permitted to park under the conditions of parallel parking and only a single row in the left lane. This restriction does not apply on Saturdays, Sundays, or national holidays.

According to Harlem, the recurring problem in the field is not the existence of parking facilities, but rather the non-compliance of some vehicle users with the applicable rules. ‘So what needs to be understood is that the issue is not simply whether parking exists at the location, but rather the presence of vehicles parking not in accordance with the rules, exceeding capacity, or crossing the permitted parking line boundaries. This is the condition we are addressing in the field,’ he said.

Sudinhub East Jakarta confirmed it will continue supervision and enforcement with relevant elements to ensure parking arrangements along the Jalan Mayjen Sutoyo corridor comply with regulations and do not disrupt traffic flow. Furthermore, supervision will be tightened, especially during peak congestion hours. Officers will also take action against vehicles parking beyond capacity or not following the established parking patterns.

Previously, the East Jakarta City Administration had taken steps to address nighttime congestion in Cawang. Last March, the administration cleared sales tables and the overflow of visitor vehicles that exceeded designated parking boundaries. Dishub also detained parking attendants at these business premises for guidance and threatened to revoke their assignment letters if parking continued to exceed the specified limits. Supervision at the location is carried out by Dishub and Satpol PP officers, who also coordinate with the traders.

Head of the DKI Jakarta Transportation Agency, Budi Awaluddin, said that parking on the road in the area is permitted at night. However, this is hindered by parking that sprawls to occupy three-quarters of the road. ‘For parking in the Cawang area, it is actually permitted at night but only for a single row. The obstacle is that vehicles often park until they take up three-quarters of the road,’ Budi told reporters at City Hall, Jakarta, on Sunday (21/6). Budi said Dishub will coordinate with residents and local traders to ensure traffic is not disrupted, expressing hope that traffic conditions in the Cawang area remain orderly.