Unlicensed travel services proliferate due to uneven public transport coverage in regions

JAKARTA — Unlicensed travel services are predicted to proliferate again as the 2026 Eid holiday season approaches.

The surge in public mobility as residents seek to return to their hometowns is frequently exploited by illegal transport operators offering quick journeys at competitive fares.

Djoko Setijowarno, a transportation analyst from the Indonesian Transportation Society, stated that Eid remains the period of greatest human movement in Indonesia.

According to him, this situation differs from the Christmas and New Year holidays, which are dominated more by leisure travel.

He explained that during Eid season, people tend to return to their hometowns regardless of economic conditions. This pattern is frequently exploited by illegal transport service providers offering cheaper fares than official transport operators.

Djoko attributed the proliferation of unlicensed services partly to the limitations of public transport services, particularly in regional areas.

“The unlicensed travel service phenomenon is evidence of state failure in providing local public transport,” Djoko said.

According to him, many regions still lack adequate public transport services down to the village level.

Yet holiday travel is not confined to major cities but also reaches smaller areas that are often not served by official transport operators.

For this reason, Djoko believes the government must strengthen the public transport ecosystem to reach regional areas, not just major cities.

“The government must begin building an ecosystem of domestically manufactured electric buses reaching the most remote villages, not just thriving in the Greater Jakarta area. This step would not only reduce emissions but also create green jobs through battery and component industrialisation in regional areas,” Djoko said.

Djoko added that improvements to regional public transport need to be implemented immediately so that people have safer and more affordable travel options.

If official transport services can reach smaller cities and villages, public dependence on unlicensed travel services is expected to decline significantly.

He also advised the public to exercise caution when selecting transport modes during holiday travel periods.

Holiday travellers should ensure that vehicles have proper operational licences and meet safety standards so that their journeys home can proceed safely and comfortably.