Traffic Jams Prompt Commuters to Cry Out on Social Media, Demanding National One-Way Scheme on Cipali Toll Road Towards Jakarta

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA – A wave of complaints from netizens regarding severe congestion on the Cipali toll road towards Jakarta continues to emerge during the Lebaran return flow in 2026. They are pressing the police and relevant authorities to promptly reinstate the national one-way scheme to ease the vehicle density.

The complaints have been widely shared on social media since Wednesday night (25/3/2026). One post from a user recounts a journey from Ambarawa to Cirebon that took far longer than usual.

“From Ambarawa at 2:00 PM to Cirebon at 1:00 AM. On the Pejagan to Ciledug toll, it was jammed for 2.5 hours alone. Total Semarang–Cirebon 11 hours. Really bad, no one-way here,” they wrote.

Netizens also complained about full rest areas and numerous vehicles forced to stop on the road shoulder, worsening the traffic flow.

“Rest areas full, many vehicles stopping on the shoulder. Please address this,” they continued.

The account @arianaadyxx also questioned the absence of the one-way policy during the return flow. “Seriously, no one-way for the return flow today?” they asked.

One popular social media post shows the traffic conditions on the Cikopo–Palimanan toll road, which is severely congested. The post features a navigation map displaying a solid red route indicating high density, with an estimated travel time of nearly 4 hours for about 198 km.

“Come on, open one-way here, the jam is so long & it’s still the outbound flow,” wrote the netizen, accompanied by a pleading emoji.

Similarly, many other users believe the lack of large-scale traffic engineering like the national one-way scheme is the main cause of the long congestion on the main return flow route. They view the previous one-way policy as proven effective in reducing vehicle density during the peak outbound flow.

This public demand is strengthening for the authorities to take quick steps, including reopening the national one-way scheme on the Cipali toll road towards Jakarta, for the smoothness and safety of returnees.