Free mudik with Pertamina helps migrant workers save on journey home
A migrant worker from Ngawi, East Java named Lina, based in Jakarta, stated on Tuesday that participating in the free mudik programme allowed her to save substantially on transport costs to her hometown—a journey that would normally cost IDR2.1 million, now entirely subsidised.
“That’s just the ticket cost, before accounting for meals and drinks. But with this Mudik Bareng Pertamina programme, everything is free,” Lina said in a statement in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Lina was one of 5,000 participants in the Mudik Bareng Pertamina 2026 programme, which departed on Sunday (15 March 2026) from Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) in Jakarta.
Lina, a salaried employee earning minimum wage, travelled with her husband and aunt. Both she and her husband obtained free bus tickets from Pertamina and became among the migrant workers able to return home this year free of charge using buses provided by PT Pertamina (Persero).
Lina said this was her second experience of participating in the free mudik programme during her time working in Jakarta.
“My husband was persistent in securing these tickets so we could share with our parents and relatives in Ngawi,” she said.
According to her, by participating in the free mudik programme, the ticket money could be used for Eid preparations.
She explained that the savings from free mudik could be spent on cooking meals during family gatherings.
“We usually prepare opor ayam kampung—it’s a family tradition. The remaining money we’ve already exchanged for new notes to fill Eid angpao envelopes for the children,” she said.
Another participant, Iwan, who lives near the South Jakarta Mayor’s office, said this was his first time participating in the mudik programme.
For him, this opportunity was valuable given rising economic pressures and living costs.
He said that with a modest salary barely sufficient to cover expenses, the free mudik programme was extremely helpful.
“In the current situation, we really need to economise. With the Mudik Bareng Pertamina 2026 programme, not only do I save money, I’m also not exhausted,” he said.