Second April outage fuels residents’ anger and demands for a more reliable power grid.

Repeated power outages in Jakarta have disrupted transport, business and high-stakes university entrance exams, intensifying calls for a more resilient and reliable electricity system in Indonesia’s capital.

Blackout Hits Central And South Jakarta
On April 23, a blackout hit parts of Jakarta from about 10.25 am following what state utility PLN described as technical issues and supply disturbances at 13 main substations across the capital. Power was restored within two to four hours, but areas such as Bendungan Hilir, the Thamrin business district, Kuningan, Jagakarsa and Tebet were left without electricity during the workday. A barista in Bendungan Hilir, Andre, said his workplace lost power for more than two hours, calling it “frustrating” in a city of Jakarta’s size and importance.

Transport Systems Briefly Knocked Offline
The outage disrupted several parts of the transport network. In South Jakarta, the tap-to-pay system at a Transjakarta bus station went down temporarily, while a traffic light at a key intersection on Jl. Daan Mogot in West Jakarta failed, though no major gridlock was reported. Greater Jakarta’s Light Rapid Transit (LRT) services were briefly halted after losing power, highlighting the vulnerability of rail systems to grid disturbances. Earlier in the month, an April 9 outage had also affected Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations and left 10 passengers briefly trapped in a lift at Lebak Bulus station before evacuation.

UTBK University Entrance Exams Disrupted
In East Jakarta, the blackout extended into several neighbourhoods, including the Jakarta State University (UNJ) campus, which was hosting computer-based UTBK entrance exams for state universities. The exams, held from April 21 to 30, involve around 871,496 students competing for about 250,000 seats nationwide. SNPMB head Eduart Wolok said power loss temporarily shut down computer systems at UNJ, National Development University (UPN) in South Jakarta and the University of Indonesia in Depok. Social media quickly filled with complaints from students who feared the interruption would affect their performance during one of the most important tests of their academic careers.

Backup Power And Assurance From Officials
Mr Eduart stressed that the disruption did not cut students’ allotted exam time because the system automatically saved remaining duration and resumed when power returned. Backup generators allowed tests to restart, with clocks picking up where they left off. PLN Greater Jakarta senior communications and public affairs manager Haris Andika said the company would step up monitoring, inspections and maintenance to detect faults early and prevent similar incidents. He told The Jakarta Post on April 24 that PLN is committed to providing reliable electricity, but residents remain concerned after two major outages within a month.

Growing Pressure For Grid Reliability
The April 23 blackout, following the April 9 incident, has sharpened public scrutiny of Jakarta’s electrical infrastructure. Residents and commuters are pressing authorities and PLN to upgrade systems so that faults at substations do not cascade into citywide disruptions that hit transport, businesses and critical services like national exams. For Indonesians and Singaporeans, especially given regional links in energy and investment, the twin outages underscore how grid reliability is central not just to daily convenience, but also to public confidence in essential services as megacities grow more dependent on electrified transport and digital systems.

The repeated April blackouts in Jakarta reveal vulnerabilities in the capital’s power network at a time when daily life, public transport and national examinations increasingly depend on stable electricity. For Indonesians, the incidents highlight an urgent need for investment in grid resilience and contingency planning, while for Singaporeans they serve as a reminder that disruptions across the region can affect travel, business ties and perceptions of reliability in one of South-east Asia’s key urban hubs.

Sources: Straits Times (2026) , EN Tempo (2026)

Keywords: Jakarta Electricity Disruption, April 23 Blackout, UTBK Exam Interruption, SNPMB Eduart Wolok, PLN Greater Jakarta, Public Frustration