Pekalongan Police Chief Deploys Official Bus to Retrieve 17 Stranded Returnees at Rest Area 338A
The violation of truck operational restrictions exacerbates traffic congestion.
Prompt action by Pekalongan Police personnel in serving the community deserves applause. Seventeen returnees from Tegal who were stranded at Rest Area 338A in Pekalongan were successfully evacuated and transported home using a police official bus on Wednesday (18/3/2026).
This swift measure was taken directly on the instructions of Pekalongan Police Chief, AKBP Rachmad C. Yusuf, after receiving reports of dozens of residents lacking transport certainty on the toll road.
The incident began when the group of returnees joined a free homecoming programme with the final destination of Semarang. While passing through Tegal, the passengers asked the bus driver to drop them off at the Adiwerna Toll Exit or Tegal Rest Area to be closer to their hometowns.
However, the request was rejected by the driver, citing the need to follow the organiser’s instructions to head directly to the endpoint in Semarang without stops along the way. After lengthy negotiations, the driver finally dropped off the 17 returnees at Rest Area 338A in Pekalongan, which falls under the jurisdiction of Pekalongan Police.
Upon receiving reports of stranded residents, officers at the Service Post (Posyan) at Rest Area 338A immediately coordinated with leadership. Pekalongan Police Chief Rachmad C. Yusuf responded by ordering the deployment of an operational fleet owned by the police station.
“On the orders of the Chief of Police, we immediately took swift action as a form of humanitarian effort. He instructed that the Pekalongan Police official bus be deployed to transport these returnees to Tegal,” said one of the Posyan officers at the location.
Not long after, the official bus from Pekalongan Police arrived at the scene. The weary faces of the returnees turned to relief and emotion as officers invited them aboard for a free ride to Tegal Regency.
Pekalongan Police Chief emphasised that during Operation Ketupat Candi 2026, humanitarian aspects and premium service to the community are the police’s top priorities.
“We do not want any returnees to be stranded in our area. This is a form of premium service from the National Police so that the public can reach home safely and comfortably to celebrate Eid with their families,” asserted Rachmad C. Yusuf.
This action garnered widespread appreciation from the returnees. They admitted they did not expect direct assistance from the police after previously facing communication issues with the free homecoming bus driver.
As of this report, the group of returnees has been dispatched from Rest Area 338A with police escort to the regional boundary to ensure they arrive safely at their destination.