Mudik Update! National One-Way Traffic System to Be Implemented on 18 March

Jakarta – Indonesia’s Traffic Police (Korlantas) will implement a nationwide one-way traffic system on Wednesday, 18 March, the sixth day of Operation Ketupat 2026, marking the anticipated peak of mudik (exodus) traffic.

“I have coordinated with the Minister and the Toll Road Authority (Jasa Marga) that the peak mudik period is estimated to be 18 March. Between 10:00 and 12:00 on that date, we will implement a nationwide one-way system for outbound traffic,” said Head of Traffic Police (Kakorlantas) Inspector General Agus Suryonugroho at the Jakarta-Cikampek Toll Road Rest Area, kilometre 57A, West Java, on Monday evening, 16 March 2026.

“Once traffic technology infrastructure can manage the situation, we may also modify the scheme to implement a phased one-way system, which we will announce accordingly,” he added.

Regarding whether the nationwide one-way system would also apply to return traffic, Suryonugroho indicated that this decision had not yet been made. “We will assess the return traffic situation later. However, current traffic conditions remain adequately controlled,” he stated.

Previously, Suryonugroho noted that the police had prepared various dynamic Traffic Engineering Management (MRLL) scenarios for this year’s mudik period, implemented situationally based on field conditions. These include contraflow schemes, local one-way systems, and nationwide one-way arrangements.

Based on evaluations and coordination with relevant stakeholders, the peak mudik period is expected on 18 March. However, if congestion thresholds are reached earlier, traffic engineering measures will be implemented sooner.

Suryonugroho explained that the first-phase one-way scheme would apply from kilometre 70 to kilometre 236, an expansion from the previous year when it only extended to kilometre 188. “If congestion persists, the scheme will be immediately extended to kilometre 414,” he said.