Return Traffic from Central Java and South Sumatra to Jakarta Hits 17 Hours of Severe Congestion

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Commuters from Yogyakarta to South Sumatra heading to Jakarta have complained about the Lebaran 2026 return journey stretching to over a dozen hours due to severe congestion on toll roads and at ports. Travel times that normally range from 10–12 hours have ballooned to over a dozen hours because of dense vehicle traffic. Sukarlan (57), a commuter from Bantul, Special Region of Yogyakarta, said the bus he was on was stuck in traffic for hours on the toll road towards Jakarta. He mentioned that the journey, which usually takes about 10 hours, this time took 15–16 hours. “The journey should be around 10 hours, yeah, last time on the way back it was about 10 hours, but this time it added up to 15 or 16 hours or so,” said Sukarlan when met at Kalideres Terminal, West Jakarta, on Wednesday (25/3/2026). The bus he was on was once delayed and nearly stationary due to long queues at the toll gate. “Earlier, I don’t know what the issue was, but the queue to pay the toll was really long, even switching lanes still congested, probably just because of the crowd all returning on the same day,” he said. In addition, congestion also occurred in the Bumiayu area, Brebes, Central Java, which was predicted from the start to be one of the vulnerable points during this year’s Lebaran return flow. He admitted the journey to Jakarta took up to 17 hours, much longer than the normal condition of about 12 hours. “Severe congestion, on the road and at the port too, the crossing had long congested queues,” said Bunga. Nevertheless, she said she had anticipated the surge in return flow would happen today, considering most commuters start returning to their cities of residence ahead of the end of the Lebaran holiday. “That’s why we’re returning now, because on Monday we start college, so there’s still time to rest first, not tired, if it’s tight, we’ll definitely be exhausted on the road,” she said.