Mudik Lebaran 2026 Overshadowed by Chronic Traffic Congestion and Heavy Rainfall
JAKARTA — The 2026 Eid holiday exodus (mudik Lebaran) is projected to face a number of persistent challenges. Beyond potential congestion at various transportation hubs that remain unresolved year after year, the government forecasts that tens of millions of travellers will use motorcycles.
Lasarus, Chair of Commission V of the House of Representatives, highlighted several chronic bottleneck points that regularly emerge during the Eid exodus season and are considered never to have been truly resolved. According to him, congestion almost always occurs on the Jakarta-Merak Toll Road, the Cikopo-Palimanan Toll Road (Cipali), the Merak-Bakauheni ferry crossing, and the Ketapang-Gilimanuk ferry terminal. He assessed that these transportation hubs consistently present challenges year after year during the exodus season.
“Particularly with Merak-Bakauheni, we experience difficulties there almost every year,” he said.
Lasarus called on the government to strengthen cross-sector coordination ahead of the 2026 Eid exodus period. “In the remaining days ahead, the government is required to solidify cross-sector coordination, both between ministries and institutions, regional governments, transport operators, and state-owned transport enterprises, particularly at congested transportation service points that become gridlocked every year,” Lasarus stated.
He also indicated that Commission V of the House of Representatives would conduct direct field inspections in preparation for the exodus. “Commission V will conduct a working visit tomorrow to the Merak-Bakauheni crossing whilst we observe the toll road access from Jakarta to Merak Port,” Lasarus said.
Private vehicles are estimated to remain the primary transportation mode. “Nationally, in terms of transport mode preference, private vehicles remain the main transport for exodus travellers with 76.24 million people, followed by motorcycles at 24.08 million and buses at 23.34 million,” said Dudy in the same meeting.