Eid Bonus Released, Mataram Residents Hunt for Festive Clothing amid Traffic Congestion

As Eid al-Fitr 2026 approaches with just five days remaining, clothing stores and shopping centres across Mataram, Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTB) have been crowded with visitors. The surge in shopping activity has resulted in traffic congestion on several roads around commercial districts.

According to observations, various fashion, footwear, and bag shops have extended their operating hours until 23:30 Nusa Tenggara Barat Time. Typically, these shops operate only until evening. The extended hours have been implemented to accommodate the increased flow of customers ahead of Eid.

“Like in previous years, as we get closer to Eid, several fashion shops experience increased visitor traffic. For instance, at Boxy, My Style near Mataram Mall, and several other fashion stores,” said Mataram City Transport Department Head Zulkarwin on Sunday (15 March 2026).

To manage congestion at various busy locations, the Mataram City Transport Department has deployed dozens of personnel to help regulate traffic flow.

“As a precaution, we have deployed traffic management officers and operational units to assist with traffic circulation,” he explained.

According to Zulkarwin, there are more than 10 major shopping centres that have become busy locations for residents ahead of Eid. Several of these are located in the Boxy area, My Style, Lombok Epicentrum Mall, commercial districts in Cakranegara, and Hakata in Pagesangan. The congestion has been so severe that pavements and road shoulders have become makeshift car parks.

“For now, we appeal to those parking illegally, since this is Ramadan. People are shopping, and if we clamp their vehicles, it will only worsen traffic congestion. We simply appeal to them to use designated locations,” he concluded.

One visitor to a Mataram fashion store, Ferial Ayu, admitted to being overwhelmed by the crowds of shoppers preparing for Eid.

“It is extremely crowded. I thought it would be quieter in the evening, but it turned out to be even busier. I had to park quite far away because the car parks were completely full,” she said.

A similar view was expressed by Nila, another shopper who chose not to bring a private vehicle when shopping.

“It has been congested since 10 days before Eid. I cannot tolerate being stuck in traffic for nearly half an hour. It is better to go to the mall using online transport rather than queue for a long time at the exit, not to mention having to deal with traffic on the road,” she said.