2026 Eid al-Fitr Homecoming: 1.88 Million Residents of West Sumatra Expected to Travel
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The movement of 1.88 million people in West Sumatra during the 2026 Eid al-Fitr transportation period is projected to increase, making the readiness of transportation hubs and homecoming services a priority for the government.
Based on the 2026 Eid al-Fitr Transportation Potential Survey, in terms of destination, the largest flow of movement is directed towards Central Java, while the number heading to West Sumatra is 5.36 million people.
“West Sumatra is known as a region with a large number of migrants, so every time Eid al-Fitr approaches, there is a significant influx of people from various regions of Indonesia to their hometowns in the Minang region,” said Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi in an official statement on Thursday (February 26, 2026).
Overall, the support needed includes preparing support posts, rest areas, anticipating congestion, providing information, monitoring disaster-prone areas, and arranging and engineering traffic flow by the Ministry of Transportation.
“We hope that the West Sumatra Regional Government together with related stakeholders can carry out Eid al-Fitr Transportation service and monitoring posts, ensure the readiness of fleets (ramp check) and transportation hubs, and carry out vehicle inspections (drivers),” said the Minister of Transportation.
To anticipate the surge in public movement, the Ministry of Transportation invites regional governments and the Indonesian Police to optimize mosques and Motor Vehicle Weighing Units (UPPKB) as rest areas.
Meanwhile, traffic engineering needs to be carried out conditionally, including when there are obstacles such as landslides and floods.
At points prone to congestion and crowds, security personnel need to be provided, alternative routes need to be prepared, and handling of level crossings between roads and railway lines needs to be carried out.
The Minister of Transportation emphasized that regional governments are also expected to prepare mitigation posts, especially on flood-prone routes that are passed by travellers, and to implement Weather Modification Operations (OMC) in areas prone to hydrometeorological disasters.
The Minister of Transportation also invites the Central Government, Regional Governments, and the Police to pay more attention to areas of temporary markets and tourist locations, especially in the arrangement of parking areas so as not to cause congestion.
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