A Series of Facts on the 2026 Lebaran Return Flow
The government has urged holidaymakers to avoid the peak return flows for Lebaran 2026, which will occur on 24, 28, and 29 March 2026.
The Head of the Indonesian National Police Traffic Corps, Inspector General Agus Suryonugroho, stated that there will be three peak return flows that holidaymakers should avoid. The first peak return flow will occur on 24 March 2026, and the second and third on 28 and 29 March 2026.
Here is a summary of the outbound and return flows for Eid al-Fitr Lebaran 2026.
2.5 Million Vehicles Return to Jakarta
The police recorded that 2.5 million vehicles have returned to Jakarta following the Lebaran outbound flow in 2026. National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo said that hundreds of thousands of vehicles have yet to return.
Based on Jasa Marga data, Sigit stated, the number of vehicles exiting for the outbound journey was 2,946,891. This figure rose 20.49% compared to 2025, which was 2,894,164 vehicles. The number of vehicles entering Jakarta as of Saturday morning, 28 March 2026, was around 2,561,629 units.
“Thus, the actual traffic volume exiting Jakarta is 2,946,891, and entering Jakarta so far is 2,561,629. There remains 385,262 or 13.07%,” said Sigit, who was monitoring the Lebaran return flow at Bakauheni Port on Saturday, 28 March 2026.
Based on this data, Sigit assessed that the peak return flow has passed. However, he emphasised that the police, together with relevant parties, will continue to ensure the safety and comfort of the entire community.
One-Way for the Return Flow
The Indonesian National Police Traffic Corps (Korlantas Polri) implemented one-way traffic engineering on the Trans-Java toll road on Saturday, 28 March 2026. The 2026 return flow peak is predicted to occur at the end of this weekend, where vehicle density returning to Jakarta will occur on the toll road.
Head of Korlantas Polri Inspector General Agus Suryonugroho said that one-way traffic engineering may be carried out at kilometre 188 or 263. “The decision is to accelerate the return flow to Jakarta,” said Agus in a written statement on Friday, 27 March 2026.
Agus said that traffic engineering will also be carried out on routes in Central Java and East Java. According to him, the decision will still depend on field conditions.
The police previously predicted that the second peak of the outbound return flow would occur on 29 March 2026. The police conducted intensified routine activities after Operation Ketupat 2026 officially closed on Wednesday, 25 March 2026.
During the first peak of the outbound return flow on 24 March 2026, around 1.9 million vehicles had already returned to Jakarta. The remainder, about 1.4 million vehicles, will follow until the end of the upcoming return flow.
Pertamax Consumption Surges During Lebaran
The average daily consumption of non-subsidised fuel type Pertamax increased by 33.9% during the Lebaran period from 9-26 March 2026 compared to the normal average in January 2026.
Corporate Secretary of PT Pertamina Patra Niaga Roberth MV Dumatubun said that this increase in fuel consumption aligns with the trend of long-distance travel by the public, which requires optimal vehicle performance.
“Amid the rise in fuel consumption, Pertamina Patra Niaga ensures that energy availability remains stable during the Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr Task Force period in 2026,” said Roberth in his statement in Jakarta on Saturday, 28 March 2026, as reported by Antara.
According to him, for the Pertamax Turbo fuel type, intended for high-performance vehicles, there was also an average daily consumption increase of 33.7% during the Lebaran period. Meanwhile, the environmentally friendly product, Pertamax Green, recorded the highest average daily consumption increase of up to 95.8% compared to the normal average.
“This shows the increasing public interest in more environmentally friendly fuels,” explained Roberth.
Overall, based on monitoring data for the period 9-26 March 2026, gasoline fuel consumption increased by an average of 16% compared to the normal daily in January 2026.
Hundreds Injured in Accidents During Outbound Flow
The police recorded a total of 90 traffic accidents during the Lebaran outbound flow period on 19-20 March 2026. Spokesperson for the Public Relations Task Force of Operation Ketupat 2026, Commissioner Marupa Sagala, said one person died from the total.
In addition, 40 people suffered serious injuries and 138 suffered minor injuries, with total material losses reaching Rp 581 million. Despite the accident victims, Marupa stated that public security and order during the outbound flow was relatively conducive. “Because there were no prominent incidents,” said Marupa in his official statement on Friday, 20 March 2026.
Nevertheless, field dynamics are unavoidable considering the increased public mobility during this year’s outbound flow. Jasa Marga Command Center data shows that 208,825 vehicles exited Jakarta through four main toll gates.
“This increased 48.15% compared to normal conditions and rose 4.05% compared to the previous year’s Lebaran period,” said Marupa.
Meanwhile, during that period, the police issued 22 traffic violation tickets recorded by the Electronic Traffic Law Enforcement (ETLE) system. In addition, officers gave 47 warnings as a preventive measure to increase public awareness in traffic.