Observer: North and South Coast Arterial Roads Could Serve as Alternative Mudik Routes
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Central Advisory Board member of the Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI) Djoko Setijowarno has revealed that the North Coast (Pantura) and South Coast (Pansela) arterial roads of Java could serve as alternative mudik routes for this year's Lebaran.
"Although toll roads remain the primary choice, extreme congestion during Lebaran is often unavoidable. Travellers actually have attractive alternatives, namely the legendary Pantura route or the scenic Pansela route," Djoko said when contacted by ANTARA in Jakarta on Wednesday.
At certain times, he continued, these arterial roads actually offer more predictable journey durations, free from the trap of prolonged congestion on toll roads.
Nevertheless, Djoko recommended that preparations be made for the 2026 Lebaran mudik on these arterial routes, such as addressing spill-over markets that continue to disrupt traffic flow.
He also stressed the importance of repairing and improving basic infrastructure facilities such as public street lighting, so that arterial roads along the Pantura route are not dark when traversed by mudik travellers.
"Public street lighting must be in place. Not just on national roads, but on district and city roads as well," Djoko said.
Previously, Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi met with West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi to strengthen oversight at vulnerable points along the 2026 Lebaran mudik route, in order to improve travel safety and the smooth flow of public mobility in the region.
The Transport Minister emphasised the importance of reinforcing oversight at several vulnerable points that could potentially cause congestion or compromise travel safety during the 2026 Lebaran mudik and return period, particularly in West Java.
The Minister explained that, based on the results of the 2026 Lebaran Transport Survey, the estimated movement of people during the 2026 Lebaran period would reach 143.91 million, or approximately 50.60 per cent of Indonesia's total population.
Although this represents a decline compared to the previous year's survey, the Minister cautioned that actual movement figures could potentially be higher.
He noted that the realisation based on Mobile Positioning Data (MPD) during Lebaran 2025 reached 154.62 million people. This means the potential actual movement in 2026 could exceed the survey figure.
The Minister also highlighted the dominance of private car use during Lebaran mudik journeys as a primary concern, given that approximately 53 per cent of travellers choose private cars as their mode of transport.
Furthermore, the majority of private car users opt for toll roads, particularly the Jakarta-Cikampek corridor, which has consistently been a critical congestion point every Lebaran.
"Although toll roads remain the primary choice, extreme congestion during Lebaran is often unavoidable. Travellers actually have attractive alternatives, namely the legendary Pantura route or the scenic Pansela route," Djoko said when contacted by ANTARA in Jakarta on Wednesday.
At certain times, he continued, these arterial roads actually offer more predictable journey durations, free from the trap of prolonged congestion on toll roads.
Nevertheless, Djoko recommended that preparations be made for the 2026 Lebaran mudik on these arterial routes, such as addressing spill-over markets that continue to disrupt traffic flow.
He also stressed the importance of repairing and improving basic infrastructure facilities such as public street lighting, so that arterial roads along the Pantura route are not dark when traversed by mudik travellers.
"Public street lighting must be in place. Not just on national roads, but on district and city roads as well," Djoko said.
Previously, Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi met with West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi to strengthen oversight at vulnerable points along the 2026 Lebaran mudik route, in order to improve travel safety and the smooth flow of public mobility in the region.
The Transport Minister emphasised the importance of reinforcing oversight at several vulnerable points that could potentially cause congestion or compromise travel safety during the 2026 Lebaran mudik and return period, particularly in West Java.
The Minister explained that, based on the results of the 2026 Lebaran Transport Survey, the estimated movement of people during the 2026 Lebaran period would reach 143.91 million, or approximately 50.60 per cent of Indonesia's total population.
Although this represents a decline compared to the previous year's survey, the Minister cautioned that actual movement figures could potentially be higher.
He noted that the realisation based on Mobile Positioning Data (MPD) during Lebaran 2025 reached 154.62 million people. This means the potential actual movement in 2026 could exceed the survey figure.
The Minister also highlighted the dominance of private car use during Lebaran mudik journeys as a primary concern, given that approximately 53 per cent of travellers choose private cars as their mode of transport.
Furthermore, the majority of private car users opt for toll roads, particularly the Jakarta-Cikampek corridor, which has consistently been a critical congestion point every Lebaran.