Ahead of the Lebaran travel rush, Transport Minister urges consistent ramp checks

Sat, 07 Mar 2026, 21:00 WIB | By Putri Rosmalia | Source: MEDIA_INDONESIA | Regulation

Ahead of the Lebaran travel period, Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi has instructed his staff to maintain consistent roadworthiness inspections, or ramp checks, across all modes of transport during Lebaran 2026. He said this step is essential to improve safety and prevent accidents during the period.

‘Public safety during the Lebaran transport period must be the top priority. In this regard, I have instructed all levels of the Ministry of Transport to conduct ramp checks consistently and in accordance with procedures, so that all transport facilities operating are truly roadworthy,’ the minister said in a statement on Saturday, 7 March.

Minister Dudy explained that in the road transport sector ramp checks have been conducted on 27,664 buses since 23 February 2026. Of that number, 17,516 were allowed to operate, while the remainder received improvement notices, were prohibited from operating, or were subject to fines.

In the sea transport sector, seaworthiness tests have been conducted on 832 ships out of a total fleet of 840. For passenger ferries, ramp checks were carried out on 220 ships out of 254.

In the air transport sector, ramp checks have been performed on 372 aircraft out of a total fleet of 564. In rail transport, ramp checks have been carried out on 3,672 rolling stock out of a total 3,687 units.

The minister urged transport operators to perform maintenance on their fleets to meet safety standards before operating. He also wants all public transport users to receive the best possible service during Lebaran 2026.

‘All public transport must guarantee passenger safety and provide optimal service. This is important so that passengers feel safe and comfortable while travelling,’ the minister said.

The minister also provided updates on the Free Travel Programme (Mudik Gratis) managed by the Ministry of Transport. As of 5 March 2026, registrations for bus-based free travel reached 15,550 people, out of a total quota of 15,834 seats.

Next, registrations for free motorcycle transport by truck stood at 172 motorcycles, from a total quota of 240 motorcycles. For the MOTIS scheme (Free Motorcycle Transport by Rail), 9,529 motorcycles have been registered, from a quota of 11,900 motorcycles. Meanwhile, 18,382 people have registered, from a quota of 28,196 passengers.

For free intercity sea travel, the ministry provides a quota of 69,232 passengers for all routes across Indonesia. Friday, 6 March, marked the first day of registration, with 5,933 people signing up.

The minister also noted developments in aircraft ticket sales following government stimulus. For domestic flights from 13-29 March 2026, ticket sales reached 1,767,574 seats, with the Jakarta-Denpasar, Jakarta-Medan and Jakarta-Padang routes among the top sellers.

‘I urge the public to take advantage of the Mudik Gratis programme to reduce reliance on private vehicles during the Lebaran holidays. Likewise, with the flight-ticket discounts, I hope this stimulus helps people access cheaper tickets,’ the minister said.

As a note, national mobility during Lebaran 2026 is forecast to reach 143.91 million people. The destination province with the largest movement is Central Java, with an estimated 38.71 million people moving.

The minister also urged international airlines to remain vigilant in light of the Iran-Israel-US conflict, and he signalled that Garuda would be monitoring the situation.

Sailing traffic at Sampit port in Central Kalimantan is expected to be busier than last year in the lead-up to Lebaran.

Pelni estimates the peak mudik period for Lebaran 2026 will occur on 18 March 2026 (H-3 Lebaran 2025), with the return peak on 2 April 2026.

Pelni is providing 751,550 tickets and operating 55 ships for Lebaran 2026 transport.

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