Mudik Gratis 2026 Battle Concludes as Pelindo Deploys 152 Buses from Four Cities

The digital ticket lottery for Pelindo’s free homecoming programme sold out within 20 minutes of opening at 08:00 WIB on Monday, 16 March, with successful applicants like Huda securing passage back to their hometowns for Lebaran celebrations.

Pelindo Group simultaneously dispatched 7,000 passengers across 152 buses from four major cities—Jakarta, Surabaya, Makassar and Medan—as part of the free mudik initiative, with the primary concentration of services operating from Jakarta to the three main Java destinations of West Java, Central Java and East Java.

Edi Priyanto, Director of Human Resources at PT Pelindo Multi Terminal (SPMT), explained that the “Berbagi Harapan” (Sharing Hope) programme was designed to address the emotional significance of Lebaran for migrant workers, ensuring that financial constraints and safety concerns do not prevent families from reuniting. The company views Lebaran as a sacred occasion for family gathering that should not be hindered by cost barriers.

Pelindo has implemented rigorous safety measures, including thorough technical inspections (ramp checks) of all vehicles and mandatory health screening for all drivers and crew members to ensure fitness for long-distance travel. Passengers have praised the service quality, with travellers noting that the buses are clean, well-maintained and comprehensively equipped.

Beyond facilitating holiday travel, the programme serves a dual policy objective: encouraging migrants to shift from motorcycles and two-wheeled vehicles to safer public transportation options, thereby reducing highway accident risks during the high-traffic mudik period.

The initiative is also designed to generate economic multiplier effects, as funds carried by returning workers will circulate through local economies in destination regions, strengthening economic activity in areas across Central Java, East Java and remote Sumatran regions.