Story of a Lebaran Traveller Stuck in Severe Traffic Jam on MBZ Toll Road, Jakarta–Cimahi Journey Delayed by 4 Hours

JAKARTA – A Lebaran traveller in 2026, Farhan, claimed to have encountered severe congestion on the Mohammed Bin Zayed Elevated Toll Road (MBZ) on Wednesday (18/3/2026). The journey from Jakarta to Cimahi, West Java, which should normally take just over two hours, instead stretched to nearly four hours. Farhan recounted that he departed from the Jakarta Utara area around 04:30 WIB, hoping to avoid heavy traffic. However, the on-road conditions were beyond expectations. “Yesterday, it should have only taken two hours and 15 minutes to reach Cimahi, West Java. But it took four hours because I got stuck in traffic on MBZ,” Farhan told Kompas.com on Thursday (19/3/2026). He entered the MBZ Toll around 05:30 WIB. However, congestion was already evident from KM 20, with vehicle speeds very slow, even below 20 kilometres per hour. “It turns out checking the maps, the red route was indeed on MBZ and the lower Cikampek route,” he said. According to Farhan, the severe congestion was triggered by several factors, from accidents to numerous vehicles stopping on the roadside. Throughout the journey, he claimed to have seen several accident incidents, including chain collisions. “Along the MBZ road, there were so many accidents, starting from a chain collision involving four vehicles, two cars, some stopping to urinate, even some stopping just to argue. I saw nearly seven accidents on the MBZ toll,” Farhan stated. The congestion worsened when vehicles exited the MBZ route around KM 48, specifically at the junction with the lower Cikampek Toll Road. The volume of vehicles from both routes made traffic flow even more congested. “I passed the KM 57 rest area, and sure enough, that was one of the main causes of the jam. Perhaps people ran out of fuel and took the MBZ and the first large rest area at KM 57, so many stopped there,” Farhan explained. Farhan also assessed that the evacuation process for accidents on the MBZ route was quite difficult. The relatively narrow road conditions limited access for emergency vehicles, thus prolonging the handling time. “If there’s an accident on MBZ, it’s a bit tricky; the lanes are narrow. So the handling takes longer, making the jam even longer,” he said. After passing KM 60, the traffic flow gradually eased until he finally arrived in Cimahi around 10:00 WIB. Farhan hopes that in the future, there will be wider dissemination of information to travellers about alternative rest areas to reduce piling up at one point. He also believes there is a need for improvements in the emergency handling system on the MBZ elevated route. “If possible, inform about other rest areas, not just at KM 57. So it doesn’t pile up at one point,” he concluded.