Transport Minister Strengthens Coordination to Ensure Smooth Eid 2026 Travel to West Sumatra
The implementation of Eid 2026 transport operations in West Sumatra demands thorough, responsive and integrated preparation.
Mataram, NTB (ANTARA) - Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi has strengthened coordination with West Sumatra Governor Mahyeldi Ansharullah to ensure the success of the 2026 Eid transport arrangements, which should be safe and smooth to the region.
Dudy stated that several support measures need to be provided by the West Sumatra regional government to manage the surge of migrants returning to their home villages during the 2026 Eid transport period.
“West Sumatra is known as a region with a large migrant population, so every approach to Eid al-Fitr, there is a significant inflow from various regions of Indonesia heading to their hometowns in the Minangkabau homeland,” said Dudy as reported in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, Saturday.
According to the Transport Minister, the implementation of Eid 2026 transport in West Sumatra requires thorough, responsive and integrated preparation.
Strong coordination between the Transport Ministry, the West Sumatra provincial government, the Armed Forces, the Police, and all stakeholders, including the community, is a determining element in effectively managing the homecoming and return travel flows.
He noted that based on the 2026 Eid Transport Movement Potential Survey, 1.88 million West Sumatrans will travel during the 2026 Eid transport period.
In terms of destination, the Transport Minister continued, the largest movement flow heads to Central Java, whilst 5.36 million people are headed to West Sumatra. Therefore, the readiness of various transport hubs, particularly airports and terminals, needs to be prepared as well as possible.
Overall, the support measures required include establishing command posts, rest areas, managing congestion, providing information, monitoring disaster-prone areas and traffic management and engineering.
“And monitoring of Eid transport, ensuring fleet readiness (ramp checks) and transport hubs, as well as conducting vehicle and driver inspections,” the Transport Minister continued.
He also encouraged the consolidation of free travel schemes through data integration, schedules and routes to ensure the service reaches the right targets with optimal occupancy, and the provision of feeder services to help travellers reach free travel departure points.
To anticipate the surge in population movement, the Transport Ministry is calling on regional governments and the National Police to optimise mosques and Motor Vehicle Weighing Implementation Units (UPPKB) as rest areas.
This requires several facilities such as free and secure parking, toilets, adequate sanitation, clean water, lighting, basic health posts, signage and integrated traffic management.
Meanwhile, traffic engineering needs to be conducted conditionally, including when there are obstacles such as landslides and flooding.
At congestion and crowded points, security personnel need to be stationed, alternative routes should be prepared, and level crossings between roads and railway lines need to be managed.
If roads are located in flood and landslide-prone areas, regional governments are expected to prepare mitigation posts, particularly on routes used by travellers, and to implement Weather Modification Operations (OMC) in hydrometeorological disaster-prone areas.
Additionally, the Transport Minister has called on the central government, regional authorities and police to pay greater attention to overflow market areas and tourist attractions, particularly in organising parking areas to prevent congestion.
“This is in view of the potential increase in shoppers in markets ahead of Eid as well as the potential for increased visits to tourist destinations after Eid (H+1 and H+2),” said the Transport Minister.