Traffic Police Chief Urges Travellers to Rest Every Three Hours

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — The National Police Traffic Corps has urged holiday travellers to rest every three hours during their Eid al-Fitr journeys in 2026. This measure is deemed essential to mitigate the risk of accidents due to driver fatigue.

Korlantas Polri Chief Inspector General Agus Suryonugroho stated that driver and vehicle preparedness are the primary factors in road safety. Long-distance travel without breaks can reduce concentration and lead to accidents.

“We have repeatedly advised on vehicle readiness, driver preparedness, including the times for driving—stop every three hours. Where to stop, which rest areas, we have informed this from the start,” said Agus on Wednesday (18/3/2026).

Agus explained that the advice has been disseminated through various information channels. Travellers are asked to plan their journeys carefully, including determining rest points to ensure safe travel.

Korlantas reminded drivers not to push themselves when fatigued. He noted that several traffic disruptions are often caused by problematic vehicles stopping on the roadside.

“I see it’s not congestion, but density. Usually, there are vehicles with trouble. The other day, some ran out of oil completely, and we assisted. This causes slowdowns,” said Agus.

Field officers, Agus continued, provide quick handling through clearing teams to address temporary obstacles. This is done to restore smooth traffic flow.

In addition to vehicle factors, driver fatigue has been observed at several points. Officers even had to wake drivers who stopped on the roadside because they could not continue.

Korlantas Polri has also prepared traffic engineering to support smooth holiday traffic. The national one-way scheme is planned to apply from Km 70 to Km 414 starting at 12:00 WIB.

This policy was decided after coordination with the Ministry of Transportation and toll road operators. Traffic engineering socialisation has been carried out, from contraflow to the initial one-way implementation on the Trans-Java Toll Road sections.

Travellers are urged to utilise traffic information from official channels such as NTMC and related applications. Driving discipline and good journey management are expected to maintain smooth holiday traffic until its peak.