A Tale of Sorrow from West Java’s Old Northern Coastal Highway

Kompas/Abdullah Fikri Ashri

A truck drives along a damaged portion of the northern coastal highway on Jl. Raya Pilangsari, Indramayu regency, West Java, on Sunday (19/2). A number of national roads in Cirebon and Indramayu regency in West Java are in dire condition. Some stretches that had been repaired are now damaged again.

The arterial roads in a number of regions in West Java are in need of improvement. What was originally a source of easy money for myriads of locals is now a source of sorrow.

For the past month, severe traffic has been an everyday sight in front of Ujang’s home in Sukatani village, Sukatani district, Purwakarta regency, West Java. Smog and dust fill the air and the heat from the vehicles’ engines is unbearable. “The traffic jams upset everyone here. Traffic jams are everywhere. It’s hard for us to get anywhere,” said the man, 38, in mid-February.