259 Participants Participate in Bandung City Government's Free Mudik Programme
A total of 259 participants were transported to their hometowns through a free mudik programme organised by the Bandung City Government. In this initiative, the city government prepared five bus fleets heading to various destinations across Java.
The free mudik routes organised included Bandung–Surabaya, Bandung–Yogyakarta, Bandung–Cirebon–Kuningan, and Bandung–Tasikmalaya–Banjar. The programme represents one of the government’s efforts to facilitate population mobility ahead of Eid al-Fitr.
Bandung City Mayor Muhammad Farhan dispatched the homebound travellers at Bandung City Hall on Tuesday afternoon (17 March). He expressed gratitude for the successful implementation of the programme, which he deemed highly beneficial for those involved.
“Praise be to God, on this cool afternoon we will send off five buses for free mudik from the Bandung City Transportation Office,” he stated.
According to Farhan, free mudik is not merely a free transportation service but part of an effort to encourage economic circulation between regions. The mudik tradition holds strategic value in stimulating the people’s economy.
“Free mudik is not simply providing a free bus to the destination. It is also a form of support for the mobility of Bandung City residents that demonstrates the circulation of economic resources,” he explained.
He clarified that migrant workers employed in Bandung City for a year would bring a portion of their earnings back to their hometowns, thereby helping to stimulate the economy of their home regions.
“They work in Bandung City and then transfer part of their income back to their hometowns. This demonstrates the economic importance of mudik,” he added.
Students and university students
Farhan further revealed that based on estimates from the Ministry of Transportation, the number of homebound travellers nationally this year could reach nearly 200 million people in the Java and Sumatra regions. This was considered an indicator of increasing economic activity among the population.
Nevertheless, he cautioned that mudik also carries risks, both from safety and health perspectives. Therefore, all parties were urged to maintain safety and health conditions during the journey.
“We must ensure that all mudik participants remain healthy and safe until they reach their destination,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, the Head of Bandung City Transportation Office, Rasdian Setiadi, reported that the total number of free mudik participants this year reached 259 people with five buses that had been prepared.
The majority of participants were students and university students. Additionally, there were participants from housewives, labourers, and entrepreneurs.