Second Peak Return Flow Predicted for 29 March: One-Way Schemes Prepared
The Indonesian National Police Traffic Corps (Korlantas Polri) predicts that the second peak of the return flow will occur on Sunday (29 March).
Korlantas Polri Chief Inspector General Agus Suryonugroho stated that traffic engineering measures, including one-way and contraflow schemes, will be reimplemented to handle the surge in vehicles.
Agus noted that although Operation Ketupat 2026 has concluded, all field units continue to monitor the Eid return flow. This is because it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people have yet to return to Jakarta.
“It is possible that on the 29th there will be the second peak return flow. We are already prepared,” he told reporters at Simpang Lima, Semarang, in the early hours of Thursday (26 March).
“One-way partial or national one-way schemes will of course be prepared with an emergency plan,” he added.
He explained that the implementation of one-way or contraflow traffic engineering schemes will be situational, depending on parameters such as the number of vehicles at toll gates.
“So, if the parameter at the Kalikangkung Toll Gate reaches nearly 4,000, we may also implement one-way,” he clarified.
Agus emphasised that if the vehicle volume remains below the threshold, contraflow traffic engineering will be prioritised first.
“But if it is still below 3,800 or 2,500, we can still use the Jakarta-bound lanes and the Trans-Java route,” he concluded.
Previously, National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo confirmed that the first peak of the 2026 Eid return flow had passed on Tuesday night (24 March).
He explained that based on data up to Wednesday at 12:00 WIB, the total number of vehicles entering Jakarta was approximately 2,040,000 units.
Meanwhile, the peak return flow recorded yesterday saw 256,338 vehicles entering the Jakarta and surrounding areas.
Nevertheless, he reminded all personnel to remain vigilant and anticipate the second wave of return flow that has yet to occur, as around 500,000 returnees are still at their hometowns and have not returned to Jakarta.