Operation Ketupat 2026: Data-Based Traffic Engineering Effective, Fatalities Drop 30.41%

Polri officially concluded Operation Ketupat 2026 on Wednesday (25/3) after it ran for 13 days. Despite a significant increase in vehicle volume compared to last year, Polri recorded positive achievements with a 30.41% reduction in fatalities among victims who died.

“I, as the Head of Korlantas Polri, with the permission of the Chief of Police, tonight officially close Operation Ketupat 2026,” said Korlantas Polri Inspector General Agus Suryonugroho to reporters in Semarang, Central Java, on Wednesday night (26/3/2026).

Inspector General Agus, as the Head of the Joint Operations Command for Operation Ketupat 2026, revealed that overall, the public security and order situation during the Idulfitri 1447 H celebrations remained safe, orderly, and conducive. This was the result of synergy among stakeholders and the implementation of precise traffic engineering strategies in line with directives from Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo.

During Operation Ketupat 2026, Polri and related stakeholders provided optimal services to the public by preparing thousands of posts at strategic points involving 161,243 combined personnel. A total of 2,746 posts were established across Indonesia, consisting of 1,624 security posts, 779 service posts, and 343 integrated posts.

Based on data from the IRSMS application of Korlantas Polri, national road traffic accidents showed a downward trend of 5.31%, from 2,880 cases in 2025 to 2,727 cases in 2026. The number of fatalities among victims who died dropped significantly by 30.41%, from 342 people in 2025 to 238 people in 2026.

“Additionally, there were no prominent accidents during this year’s operation period,” said Inspector General Agus.

The smooth flow of outbound and return traffic this year was supported by dynamic and measured traffic management. At the peak of outbound traffic on 18 March, the vehicle volume reached 270,315 units, an increase of 4.62% from 2025. Meanwhile, the peak return traffic on 24 March reached 256,338 vehicles, up 14.87% from 2025.

The success in reducing accident rates was inseparable from the implementation of situational and measured traffic engineering strategies. During the outbound traffic phase, Polri managed congestion by applying contraflow schemes from one to three lanes at critical points such as KM 36 to KM 70 on the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road. At its peak, Korlantas implemented the National Precision One Way, stretching from KM 70 to KM 414 Kalikangkung, and even extended to KM 424 to ensure smooth traffic flow towards Central Java.

Entering the return traffic phase, strategic flexibility was again demonstrated through the innovation of Local Precision One Way, also known as Precision Segment One Way. This scheme was applied gradually, one of which was on the KM 414 to KM 263 stretch, to specifically disperse vehicle traffic generation without permanently closing access lanes. All movements were monitored in real-time through the Korlantas Command Centre, supported by modern devices such as Precision ETLE Patrol to ensure every decision was based on accurate field data.

In Operation Ketupat 2026, Polri also prioritised the human side through the Precision Polri Free Outbound programme, which transported 4,009 people with 81 bus units. The Urai Team and Polri Public Address Team were also active in providing direct assistance in the form of food and medicine to outbound travellers on the road. Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, along with Polri’s senior officers, continued to visit various regions to ensure smooth outbound and return traffic.

Police Chief’s Order to Continue Enhanced Routine Activities until 29 March

Although Operation Ketupat 2026 has officially ended, security will not be immediately withdrawn because data shows there is still 42.29% of return traffic vehicles that have not yet returned to Jakarta. Therefore, in line with directives from Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, Polri will continue escorting through Enhanced Routine Activities (KRYD) until 29 March 2026 to guarantee the safety of every outbound traveller.

“That duty is an honour; we must not tire in serving the public to ensure they return home safely. We, the Polri, will continue to be in the field until the end of the KRYD period in accordance with the Chief of Police’s directives to ensure all outbound people return home safely,” said Inspector General Agus.

Inspector General Agus expressed his highest appreciation to all personnel in the field who have tirelessly provided humanitarian services to the public. He also praised the solid and responsive synergy and close collaboration among stakeholders during the operation.

Inspector General Agus also apologised to the public if there were any shortcomings in the implementation of Operation Ketupat 2026. Evaluations will be conducted to ensure that security for the next Operation Ketupat can run more optimally.

According to him, the success in realising the spirit of ‘Safe Outbound, Happy Family’ is the result of collective hard work in providing a sense of security and comfort for all Indonesian people.