Jakarta Volunteers Battle Hidden ‘Nail Traps’ on Busy Roads

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Before sunrise on Saturday, a small army of Jakarta residents in reflective vests fanned out along one of the capital’s main thoroughfares. Armed with rope‑tied magnets and steel bars, they cleared a 500‑meter stretch of roadway of dozens of nails, bent bolts and jagged scraps of metal designed to puncture tires.

Their mission: protect drivers from the city’s notorious “nail traps.”

Grassroots Safety Crew

• Who they are: The all‑volunteer group, known locally as Sapu Bersih or SABER (“Clean Sweep”), began in 2010 after founder Siswanto suffered repeated punctures on his motorbike commute.
• How they work: Members sweep high‑traffic routes before and after work, dragging circle magnets over asphalt to snag sharp debris.
• Daily haul: About 250 grams of metal—roughly 9 ounces—is collected each morning across multiple locations.

Tons of Metal Removed

Over the past 15 years, SABER says it has pulled four metric tons of dangerous fragments from roads in Jakarta and nearby Bekasi. The piles include nails, umbrella spokes and even specially cut bits of rebar—evidence, volunteers believe, of deliberate sabotage.

Police Praise, Suspicions Linger

Jakarta Traffic Police Chief Komarudin commended the group’s work, noting that officers also collect samples to determine whether the traps fall from vehicles or are “intentionally planted.”

• Potential motives:
  • Quick business for roadside tire shops
  • Forced stops that could expose riders to robbery

Motorbike taxi driver Pandu Dewanata recalls three punctures in a single year, each within sight of a tire patch shop. “It feels suspicious,” he said, though he stops short of assigning blame.

Volunteers Refuse to Quit

For driver Dian Anggraeni, who joined SABER in 2018 after suffering multiple flats a day, the work is personal. “I finish sweeping and think it’s clear,” she said. “Five minutes later, more nails appear. We can’t give up.”

Despite the relentless cleanup, the hazards keep resurfacing—often on different streets—turning the campaign into a perpetual cat‑and‑mouse game. Yet SABER’s members vow to continue until the roads are truly safe.

Why It Matters

• Safety: Sharp metal can cause sudden blowouts, leading to crashes and costly repairs.
• Community action: SABER shows how grassroots efforts can fill gaps in city services.
• Accountability: Ongoing police investigations may reveal whether the traps are opportunistic litter or a coordinated scheme.

For Jakarta’s long‑suffering motorists, every magnet sweep brings a little more peace of mind—one nail at a time.