Javanese Travellers Heading to Sumatra Begin Crowding Merak and Ciwandan Ports; Here Are the Numbers
Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi inspected three ports in Banten on the night of 15 March and early morning of 16 March 2026: PT Bandar Bakau Jaya (BBJ) Bojonegara Port, Ciwandan Port, and Merak Port.
“The condition of BBJ Bojonegara Port on the evening of 15 March was observed to be busy yet running smoothly, with the overall port situation appearing safe and controlled. All trucks had entered the port area and were awaiting their turn to board the vessels. In essence, there was no vehicle congestion outside the port,” Dudy stated on 16 March 2026.
Although operations appeared smooth, the movement of people from Java to Sumatra has begun to increase ahead of the 2026 Eid holiday period. The surge is evident across several major ferry ports serving Java-Sumatra routes over the past few days.
Data from the Merak Command Centre recorded that during a 24-hour period on H-7 Eid (14 March 2026, 00:00-23:59 WIB), 72,735 passengers crossed from Java to Sumatra via Merak Port, Ciwandan Port, and BBJ Bojonegara. This figure represents a 52.7% increase compared to the same period last year, which saw 47,630 people.
The surge also applied to the number of vehicles crossing. The total number of vehicles recorded heading to Sumatra reached 17,067 units, an increase of 65.7% compared to last year’s 10,302 units. This increase signals the initial momentum of this year’s Eid travel surge.
“We are observing the beginning of increased public movement ahead of the holiday travel period,” said PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry Chief Executive Officer Heru Widodo.
To anticipate this surge, ferry operators working with relevant authorities have prepared additional fleet capacity on several major routes. On the Merak-Bakauheni ferry route, 28 to 33 vessels per day have been prepared. On the Ciwandan-Wika Beton ferry route, 9 to 12 vessels per day are in operation. On the BBJ Bojonegara-BBJ Muara Pilu ferry route, 10 to 12 vessels per day have been prepared, adjusted to match the dynamics of vehicle movement.
Besides increasing fleet capacity, ASDP has also implemented vehicle flow control systems through delaying mechanisms at several buffer zones and vehicle route diversions to specific ports. Under this arrangement, Merak Port is prioritised for passenger vehicles, Ciwandan for motorcycles and freight vehicles, whilst BBJ Bojonegara is directed to serve logistics vehicles.
“ASDP has strengthened the readiness of ferry services, from operational fleet capacity, port facilities, to service systems so that users’ journeys can run smoothly,” said Heru.
Cumulatively from H-10 to H-7 Eid, the total number of passengers crossing from Java to Sumatra via Merak, Ciwandan, and BBJ Bojonegara reached 199,011 people. This figure is slightly lower by 1.9% compared to the same period last year, which reached 202,791 people. However, for vehicles, the number has increased. The total vehicles crossing reached 49,026 units, an increase of 5.7% compared to the same period last year with 46,393 units.
The reverse flow from Sumatra to Java via Bakauheni Port, Wika Beton Port, and BBJ Muara Pilu was also recorded as relatively high. From H-10 to H-7, the total passengers crossing reached 138,179 people, a decrease of 5.6% compared to last year’s 146,426 people. Meanwhile, the number of vehicles from Sumatra to Java reached 31,660 units, a slight increase of 1.1% compared to the same period last year with 31,330 units.
Prospective travellers are urged to plan their journeys in advance by purchasing tickets before arriving at the port. Ferry tickets can now be purchased up to 60 days prior to departure through the Ferizy system.
“Ensure you have already purchased your ticket before arriving at the port and arrive according to the arrival time shown on your ticket so that the crossing process can proceed more orderly and smoothly,” said ASDP Corporate Secretary Windy Andale.