Homebound Travellers Pay Double for Bus Fares During Lebaran as Others Compete for Free Transport Scheme

South Tangerang — A number of travellers at Pondok Cabe Terminal in Pamulang, South Tangerang, have adopted various strategies to enable them to return to their hometowns during Lebaran.

Some are willing to pay double the usual bus fare, whilst others have spent days competing for limited slots in the government’s free mudik programme.

Musa, 45, revealed that he had to spend twice the normal amount to secure passage to his hometown in Banyuwangi, East Java. “Compared to normal days, it is indeed double. But if you want to go home for Lebaran, it’s something we’re used to,” Musa said when met at Pondok Cabe Terminal on Monday, 16 March 2026.

Musa said he had booked his ticket before the fasting month began to secure a seat. “We book well in advance because we’re worried about running out of tickets. If you don’t reserve well ahead, it’s usually hard to get a ticket,” he explained.

The shop assistant, who works at his family’s stall in Parung Market, Bogor, said he was too busy working to participate in the government’s free mudik programme. “I rarely keep up with that kind of information. So I just choose the simplest option,” he noted.

Meanwhile, another traveller, Heru Setiadi, 30, chose to participate in the free mudik programme organised by the Ministry of Transport to return to Yogyakarta. “It’s quite difficult to get. It took me three days before I was accepted. So I had to keep standby on the app,” Heru said.

According to him, the high number of applicants for the free mudik programme meant he had to continuously monitor the application to avoid missing out on available quotas. “The key is not to neglect the app. If you leave it, usually the quota fills up immediately,” he explained.

Heru noted that the free mudik programme he participated in was very helpful in terms of reducing travel costs.