Trans-Java Mudik Traffic Scenario, Police Monitor Vehicles Using Digital Technology

A traffic-management scenario for the Eid al-Fitr Mudik and flows on the island of Java has been prepared. The plan will be executed based on the rate of vehicle movement monitored with digital technology.

‘The scenario is that if there is a surge in traffic (an increase in the number of vehicles) up to 3.5 million, we will monitor it using digital technology,’ said the Chief of Police Traffic Corps (Kakorlantas Polri) Inspector General Agus Suryo Nugroho after the Polantas Menyapa event in Banjar Kebalian, Sukawati District, Gianyar Regency, on Friday (6 March 2026).

Agus said that traffic management would include contra-flow, i.e., temporary traffic engineering that eases congestion by using part of the lanes in the opposite direction. The system divides one or two lanes on the opposing carriageway to accommodate vehicles from the congested direction. The contra-flow would be implemented on lane one.

‘Korlantas Polri, the Chief of Police General Listyo Sigit Prabowo and the Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi will decide on the contra-flow traffic management,’ Agus said. He added that the same management on lane 2 would be applied if lane 1 is not able to break up congestion. The indication is an increase of vehicles up to 6,400 vehicles per hour.

If applying contra-flow management also fails to ease congestion in those two lanes, then one-way traffic would be imposed on half of the national road.

‘This method has already been simulated. A tactical floor game has been conducted. Therefore, when vehicle numbers peak, the traffic will flow more smoothly to Trans-Java and Trans-Sumatera,’ he said.

Agus noted that the Trans-Java traffic flow is the most prone to congestion during Eid al-Fitr and the return flow. The majority of vehicles are heading from Jakarta to Central Java, East Java, Banten, and even Sumatra.

Therefore, with this scenario, Agus claimed there would be no traffic jams, although he did not deny that there would be congestion. All traffic-switching, contra-flow, and one-way management scenarios are designed to prevent congestion, rather than to avoid traffic density.

‘There is digital monitoring at every kilometre 29. So there will be no jams; the traffic will be smooth. If it’s crowded, well, yes,’ he stressed.

Hundreds of Rest Areas on Trans-Java

During the mudik and return season, hundreds of rest areas for drivers will be available. They are spread across all routes on the island of Java.

‘There are hundreds of rest areas,’ Agus said.

Rest areas are spread from the North Coast route (Pantura), the South Coast route (Pansel), and the central Java corridor. Rest-area managers have been invited to collaborate, especially when the traffic-density management scenario is executed.

‘The system and the collaboration scenario are already quite good,’ he said.

Agus added that all scenarios and the availability of rest areas are part of Operasi Ketupat 2026. In addition to rest areas, the targets include national roads, port crossings, terminals, airports, railway stations, places of worship, and tourist sites.