Mudik Evaluation: Government Urged to Address Port Congestion and Repair Roads Well in Advance

JAKARTA - A member of Commission V of the House of Representatives from the Golkar faction, Hamka B Kady, has reminded of the recurring issues that still occur during the mudik period, namely congestion at ferry ports such as Gilimanuk, Ketapang, and Merak.

Hamka stated that one of the root causes of the density is the suboptimal provision of buffer zones or vehicle holding areas before entering the ports.

“Do not let highways be used as vehicle holding areas. Ferry ports must be supported by adequate buffer zones so as not to disrupt general traffic flow,” said Hamka in his statement on Tuesday (14/4/2026).

Hamka asked the Ministry of Transportation to immediately conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the management of ferry ports.

He requested that road repairs not be carried out close to the holiday, as this could disrupt traffic flow and the traffic engineering strategies that have been prepared.

“Road repairs must be done well before the mudik period. Do not do it close to the holiday, because that would hinder people’s movement,” he said.

Hamka also touched on the need to improve supporting facilities for traffic safety, including the use of more visible equipment, such as road barriers with lighting, especially to support traffic engineering at night.

He emphasised that every strategy implemented, including contraflow and traffic regulation, certainly carries risks.

Therefore, said Hamka, maximum mitigation steps are needed to minimise the potential for accidents.

Although accident rates have decreased, Hamka reminded that this is not the only indicator of success.

Hamka encouraged a more comprehensive evaluation so that the implementation of mudik in the future will be even better.

“This must be used as a joint evaluation material. So that in the future we are no longer preoccupied with issues that can actually be anticipated earlier,” he added.