Mataram Residents Urged to Depart on 13 March to Avoid Nyepi-Eid Congestion

The Mataram City Transportation Office (Dishub) has urged residents intending to travel home for Eid to depart on 13 March 2026, or H-8 (eight days before Eid). This measure is being taken to prevent congestion on routes to Lembar Port in West Lombok and Kayangan Port in East Lombok.

“Departing eight days before Eid would be ideal, as next week many offices will be on flexible working arrangements anyway. By leaving before then, people can travel more comfortably and most importantly, avoid overcrowding on the roads,” said Zulkarwin, Head of the Mataram City Transportation Office, when contacted on Wednesday, 11 March 2026.

Zulkarwin urged residents from Mataram and surrounding areas to carefully plan their departure times to avoid congestion. According to him, traffic congestion is not only driven by Eid migration but also coincides with Balinese New Year (Nyepi) 2026, which is expected to significantly increase vehicle traffic at various ports.

“Hopefully the migration can be more orderly. People should take advantage of any flexibility they have. But if possible, people should travel earlier to avoid crowding,” he said.

Additionally, the Mataram Transportation Office will coordinate with various stakeholders to address congestion caused by buses picking up passengers on roadsides, particularly in the Bertais and Mandalika areas of Mataram.

“We will try to coordinate with the Regional Transportation Agency, terminals, and the Provincial Transportation Office, since that is a provincial road. We will discuss how to manage this so that passengers are no longer picked up outside terminals,” he explained.

Zulkarwin urged all transport operators to pick up passengers exclusively within terminals to prevent congestion.

To minimise congestion during Nyepi and Eid 2026, the Mataram City Government is launching a free Eid migration programme. The initiative, titled ‘Mudik Seru dengan HARUM’ (Enjoyable Migration with HARUM), will provide approximately 168 places and is scheduled to depart on 16 March 2026 from the Mataram Mayor’s office on Pejanggik Street, Mataram.