Wawan's Joy at Free Mudik with Family: Usually I Ride a Motorcycle, Wife and Children Take the Bus

JAKARTA – Wawan Junaidi (43), a resident of Rusun Nagrak in Cilincing, North Jakarta, was moved to tears as he prepared to return home with his family through the DKI Jakarta provincial government’s free Mudik Angkutan Lebaran (Free Homecoming Transport) programme in 2026.

For the first time, Wawan was able to travel home together with his wife and two children in a single journey. Until now, financial constraints had forced them to travel separately.

“I’m deeply moved – this is the first time in my life I can return home together with my family. Usually I ride my motorcycle, whilst my wife and children take the bus. So we travelled separately,” Wawan said when speaking with Kompas.com at the National Monument (Monas) area in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, 17 March 2026.

“In the past, sometimes I would arrive first, whilst my wife was still stuck in traffic. Now we can depart and arrive together,” he continued.

Wawan recounted the challenges of registering for the free mudik programme. As an ordinary citizen, he admitted he did not fully understand the online registration process. He attempted to register but encountered difficulties accessing the system and was hampered by poor internet connectivity.

“I tried to register myself but kept failing because the internet at home is poor,” Wawan said.

Fortunately, he received assistance from a relative who was part of the programme’s organising committee, which made the registration process much smoother. Documents were requested one by one, including family cards (KK) and identity cards (KTP). After his data was verified, he received his ticket and a predetermined departure schedule.

Wawan expressed his gratitude for being able to participate in the programme, as he no longer had to return home separately or travel long distances by motorcycle.

“Praise be to God, it is more cost-effective and I am not as exhausted,” he said.