Planning to Return to Jakarta from Surabaya? Here's the Recommended E-Toll Balance

PT Jasa Marga (Persero) Tbk has advised the public planning to return to the Jabotabek region during the post-Eid rush to ensure their electronic money (e-toll) balance is sufficient before entering the toll road. This recommendation comes after the company evaluated vehicle movements during the 2026 Eid al-Fitr outbound and return period, from H-10 to H+1 of 1447 Hijriah, or 11–22 March 2026. The evaluation revealed that many drivers still faced insufficient balances upon arriving at toll gates. One such incident occurred at the Kalikangkung Toll Gate on the Batang–Semarang section, where approximately 21,000 vehicles had to top up their balances on site. This figure represents 4.9 percent of the total 442,000 vehicles that transacted at that toll gate during the observation period. “Insufficient e-toll balances leading to top-ups at toll gates can cause significant delays and trigger queue congestion,” the company stated in a written release on Tuesday (24/3/2026). It added that similar incidents are highly likely to recur during the return flow, particularly at the Cikampek Utama Toll Gate, which serves as the main route to Jakarta. Therefore, road users are urged to prepare in advance by ensuring their e-toll balance is adequate before entering the toll section. This step is considered essential to maintain smooth travel and avoid congestion at toll gates. For medium-distance journeys such as from Semarang to Jakarta, Class I vehicle users are advised to prepare a minimum balance of Rp500,000. Jasa Marga emphasised that if many vehicles top up at toll gates, as potentially occurring at Cikampek Utama, travel times will be hindered due to long queues solely for the top-up process. Thus, the public is advised to regularly check their e-toll balance before travelling, especially during the Eid return rush, which is characterised by a surge in vehicle numbers. In addition to ensuring sufficient balance, road users are reminded of the closed transaction system rules on the Trans Java Toll Road, where toll fees are determined based on distance travelled. Under this system, the e-toll card used upon entry must be the same as the one used upon exit. Consequently, users cannot switch to another person’s card mid-journey if their own balance proves insufficient.