18 March Predicted as Peak of Lebaran 2026 Exodus Traffic
Indonesia’s Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi has predicted that the peak of the Lebaran 2026 exodus will occur on 18 March 2026, and the government has prepared various anticipatory measures to reduce potential congestion during this period.
“The peak of the exodus is estimated to occur on the 18th (of March),” said the Transport Minister during an official visit inspecting compensation delivery for cartmen at Garut Police Headquarters in Garut Regency, West Java, on Saturday (14 March).
One effort to maintain the smooth flow, safety and orderliness of traffic, according to him, is the government’s implementation of “work from anywhere” (WFA) policy, which can help distribute the departure timing of those returning home so it does not concentrate on a single day.
“With the implementation of WFA, the distribution of departures is expected to spread across the preceding dates,” he said.
He stated that the government has also prepared various facilities and infrastructure to support smooth traffic flow during the exodus season. These preparations, he continued, include not only personnel readiness but also the readiness of transportation routes with constant coordination between agencies involved in traffic security and management.
“So far, God willing, it has been running well, has been provided well,” he said.
He appealed to those returning home to plan their journeys well in advance, such as taking into account travel time, weather conditions and exodus route information through various available media channels.
“We hope that those returning home can plan their journeys well, and always try to obtain information from various media channels,” he said.
PT Jasa Marga (Persero) Tbk has projected that approximately 3.53 million vehicles will transit through the main toll gates serving the Jakarta area over the course of the exodus period.
As the exodus began in earnest approaching the seven-day mark before Lebaran (H-7), lengthy queues of vehicles occurred at the Pejagan Toll Gate in Brebes, Central Java, on Saturday morning (14 March). The Bogor Traffic Police have prepared a number of traffic engineering schemes for the Puncak tourist area in West Java in preparation for the 2026 Lebaran exodus.
Rail services in North Sumatra have also shown significant increases approaching the H-7 Lebaran period. The Transport Ministry has additionally announced an economic class ticket discount stimulus of up to 18 per cent in response to complaints regarding expensive air fares.