Lebaran 2026 Homecoming Travellers Surge, Traffic Density Rises 170%

The movement of people during the 2026 Lebaran homecoming and return flows shows a significant upward trend. The government recorded total mobility reaching hundreds of millions of people, with sharp surges at several critical points.

This increase is evident not only in the number of homecomers but also in the intensity of usage across various modes of transport. Both land, sea, and air routes experienced notably high activity throughout the Lebaran period.

However, behind this general smoothness, several points require serious attention, particularly during the peak homecoming flow in mid-March.

“The number of people moving this year is 147.52 million, an increase of 13.5% from the survey results,” he said in Jakarta on Thursday (9/4/2026).

This surge has also triggered pressure on infrastructure, especially on toll roads and rest areas. One of the most felt issues is the density on the MBZ elevated road due to long queues leading to rest areas.

The government identified that rest area capacities have not been able to accommodate the vehicle surge at the same time. This is exacerbated by the high volume of vehicles in a short period.

In addition, the distribution of travel times among the public, which tends to coincide, further amplifies the potential for congestion. The lack of departure time scheduling is one of the main factors.

“The density that occurred is due to a fairly high flow increase, up to 170% compared to normal days,” said Dudy.

Nevertheless, overall, the homecoming implementation is assessed to have proceeded relatively well. No major incidents stood out during that period.

Looking ahead, the government plans to strengthen the mitigation system, including traffic management optimisation and increased capacity of supporting facilities.

Additionally, education for the public on planning journeys is also an important focus to reduce build-ups at certain points.

“We see that overall, the homecoming and return flows proceeded well and there were no prominent major accidents,” said Dudy.