BKKBN: Equitable Public Transport Can Address Post-Mudik Population Migration
The Ministry of Population and Family Development (Kemendukbangga)/BKKBN states that equitable public transportation in regions can address population migration following the mudik flow.
Secretary of Kemendukbangga/BKKBN, Budi Setiyono, conveyed many lessons that can be learned from the 2026 mudik event, aside from the Lebaran holiday celebration which has become an annual tradition rich in social and cultural meaning.
“Behind that romanticism, the 2026 mudik presents a reality that can no longer be ignored, namely that Indonesia is still facing serious pressure on its national mobility system. The dominance of private vehicles indicates that public transportation has not yet become the backbone of national mobility, even in extreme situations like mudik,” said Budi when confirmed in Jakarta on Friday.
According to him, when most of the population chooses or is forced to use cars and motorbikes, the burden on the road network increases exponentially, which not only creates congestion but also increases the risk of accidents, enlarges energy consumption, disease transmission, and adds to overall social costs.
Based on records from the Ministry of Transportation survey, the number of mudik travellers is estimated to reach around 144 million people or more than half of Indonesia’s population. That figure even has the potential to increase to 155 million people, following trends from previous years that often exceeded predictions.
He also stated that the most obvious problem is the very high concentration of mudik flow on Java Island. The movement is dominated by people from urban areas like Jabodetabek heading to Central Java and East Java. Main routes, both toll roads and arterial roads, bear a burden far exceeding their ideal capacity, thus creating repeated long congestions every year, as if it has become something normal.
“However, congestion is not the core of the problem. It is merely a symptom of a deeper issue, namely the unbalanced population structure and mobility. A further lesson is that mudik actually reflects the unresolved inter-regional development disparities,” he said.
Budi added that the large flow from cities to villages shows that economic centres are still concentrated in certain areas, particularly big cities in Java, while the areas of origin of the mudik travellers have not been able to provide adequate job opportunities and living conditions, thus migration to cities becomes an almost inevitable choice.
“In this context, mudik is not just a journey home to the village, but a ‘ritual’ that reveals the reality that millions of people must leave their places of origin to seek a livelihood elsewhere,” said Budi.