Metro Jaya Police Chief: 40 Per Cent of Jadetabek Residents Already Returning Home, Peak Exodus Begins Tonight
The Metro Jaya Police Chief, Inspector General Asep Edi Suheri, has confirmed that the exodus from the greater Jakarta metropolitan region—comprising Jakarta, Depok, Tangerine, and Bekasi (Jadetabek)—continues to surge. As of Tuesday (17 March) midday, 40 per cent of residents departing the capital and surrounding areas have already left.
Based on monitoring by Operation Ketupat Jaya 2026, the Police Chief predicts a significant surge or peak of the second wave of the exodus starting Tuesday evening through Wednesday (18 March).
“Already 40 per cent of Jadetabek residents have departed. The peak is likely to occur tonight and tomorrow. This figure will continue to increase dramatically,” said Inspector General Asep Edi Suheri.
Although vehicle volume is increasing on toll roads and arterial routes towards Cikampek, the Police Chief assured the public that traffic conditions remain in the congested but flowing category. To date, police have not implemented extreme traffic engineering measures.
“So far the flow remains safe, so there are no contraflow or one-way systems in place yet. However, all personnel in the field are on full alert to anticipate congestion at critical points,” he stated.
In addition to monitoring land routes, the Metro Jaya Police Chief has conducted surprise inspections at several major departure points, including Pulogebang Bus Terminal, Pasar Senen Railway Station, and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
Inspector General Asep issued special appeals to residents leaving their homes vacant, requesting that they ensure all electrical installations, cookers, and gas cylinders are switched off, and that doors are locked securely.
As a preventive measure against criminal activity, the Police Chief has instructed all district and subdistrict police units to increase patrols in residential areas together with village officials and neighbourhood representatives.
“For residents concerned about leaving their vehicles at home, I have ordered all police units to accept free vehicle storage. Please take advantage of this facility so that your journey home can be more peaceful,” he concluded.
The National Traffic Police Corps will implement one-way traffic management on 18 March 2026, coinciding with the predicted peak of Lebaran exodus. PT Pertamina Patra Niaga has ensured fuel supply remains secure on toll routes during the Lebaran exodus and return period. The Bekasi Metro Police operational area for Operation Ketupat Jaya 2026 involves 1,238 combined personnel from police, military, local government, and related agencies.