National Police Chief Recommends 'First Come First In' Method at Ports During Peak Homecoming Rush

National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo has given special attention to congestion along sea crossing routes during the homecoming and return migration period for Eid al-Fitr (Lebaran) 2026. To prevent vehicle accumulation, he recommended implementing the ‘first come first in’ method at ports during peak homecoming times.

“Particularly during peak homecoming, we recommend using the first come first in method. If we look at when someone purchases a ferry ticket and then must board according to the date on the ticket, this will also potentially result in congestion,” said General Sigit.

The statement was delivered by General Sigit during a multi-sectoral coordination meeting at the Mutiara Auditorium of STIK-PTIK in Jakarta on Monday, 2 March 2026.

General Sigit explained that flexibility in loading vehicles onto ferries is crucial when vehicle volumes exceed port waiting area capacity. He requested relevant stakeholders formulate policies enabling early-arriving homebound travellers to cross immediately without strict adherence to ticket schedules.

“So during peak homecoming, we request approval from relevant stakeholders that whoever arrives first boards the ferry directly. Therefore, we also request policies addressing ferry crossing matters,” he added.

Beyond ticket management, the National Police Chief outlined a situation indicator scheme for Merak, Ciwandan and BBJ ports to regulate vehicle flows, including:

Green Status: Normal vehicle queues within port dock areas.

Yellow Status: Vehicle queues reaching Cikuasa Atas fuel station.

Red Status: Vehicle queues reaching Merak toll gate.

To support port operations, General Sigit also instructed strengthening buffer zones and additional parking areas. This addresses potential disruptions from extreme weather predicted by the Meteorological Climatological and Geophysical Agency to continue through March 2026.

“We also face potential heavy rain that could disrupt the ferry crossing route, causing congestion. This must be managed well through field discretion,” General Sigit asserted.

Additionally, the National Police Chief mandated strict health checks for ship captains and crews, including urine tests to ensure they are free from drugs and alcohol influences for maritime safety.

General Sigit added that Operation Ketupat 2026 will deploy 161,243 combined personnel to manage 143.9 million homebound travellers. The police will collaborate with all stakeholders under the service spirit of ‘Safe Homecoming, Happy Families’.

The 161,243 combined personnel comprise 89,228 police officers and 72,015 personnel from related agencies including the Armed Forces, Transportation Ministry, Civil Police, and community organisations. The military parade is scheduled for 12 March.

Several senior government officials attended the coordination meeting, including Coordinating Minister for Human Development Pratikno, Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar, Trade Minister Budi Santoso, and Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi. Also present were the Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces, heads of the National Disaster Management Agency and Meteorological Climatological and Geophysical Agency, and managing directors of state enterprises including Pertamina, Jasa Marga, and Jasa Raharja.

The meeting was attended by 302 participants in person, including 28 national police headquarters staff and 36 regional police chiefs from across Indonesia. In Operation Ketupat 2026’s structure, National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit serves as Operation Policy Officer, assisted by Deputy National Police Chief Lieutenant General Dedi Prasetyo as Deputy Officer. Technically, operations will be led by National Police Traffic Chief Inspector General Agus Suryonugroho as Chief of Operations. All Operation Ketupat 2026 officials were present at the coordination meeting.

Meanwhile, regional police chiefs and regional leadership councils participated virtually to ensure central directives reached the regional level.