PERSEPSI PRAKTIK PAK OGAH DALAM MENJALANKAN PROFESI PENGATURAN TRANSPORTASI JALAN RAYA (Studi Pada Kecamatan Lowokwaru, Kota Malang)

The phenomenon of informal traffic controllers known as “Pak Ogah” represents a social practice that emerges as a response to traffic congestion in urban public spaces. Their presence generates diverse perceptions, both as actors who assist in easing traffic flow and as a practice operating outside the formal traffic regulation system. This study aims to describe the practices of Pak Ogah and to analyze public perceptions of this informal profession in Lowokwaru District, Malang City. The research employs a qualitative method with a phenomenological approach. The informants consist of 15 individuals, including 5 Pak Ogah and 10 road users. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and documentation, and analyzed using the interactive model of Miles and Huberman. Data validity was ensured through source and technique triangulation.
The findings indicate that Pak Ogah practices are carried out based on experience and unwritten agreements, utilizing symbols such as hand gestures and verbal communication. Public perceptions are divided between those who consider their presence helpful in reducing congestion and those who view the practice as risky and lacking formal legitimacy. From the perspective of Herbert Blumer’s symbolic interactionism, the reality of Pak Ogah is socially constructed through interaction processes, where meaning, language, and thought shape individual perceptions. Thus, differing perceptions reflect symbolic interpretations formed in everyday social life. This study concludes that Pak Ogah constitutes an informal profession whose meaning is continuously negotiated within the dynamics of urban society.