Yogyakarta Prepares for Mudik Congestion on Alternative Routes
Yogyakarta’s Regional Police (DIY) have prepared personnel to monitor access points on alternative routes that are prone to accidents and congestion during the 2026 Lebaran migration period and holiday season. “We are deploying personnel on minor roads to prevent migrants unfamiliar with the terrain from being directed via digital maps to routes that could cause congestion and accidents,” said Yogyakarta’s Police Chief Brigadier General Anggoro Sukartono on Tuesday, 10 March 2026.
Anggoro said that together with the Yogyakarta regional government, they have coordinated with several digital navigation service providers such as Google Maps and Waze. This is to ensure that the route information displayed complies with traffic management on the ground.
“We are working to prevent these digital navigation algorithms from diverting vehicles onto back roads that are marked as dangerous and have minimal officer supervision,” he said. “Conditions on the ground can change daily. If a route that could pose risks suddenly gets diverted by the Google Maps system, that needs to be anticipated.”
He urged the public during the Lebaran exodus to use alternative routes that are officially recommended by traffic signs and field personnel. He also asked the public to remain on main routes that are protected by officers.
Beyond route management through applications, Anggoro stressed the importance of informing the public about current traffic conditions, particularly approaching the peak arrival period, which is estimated to occur from H-5 to H-3 of Eid al-Fitr.
Extensive information dissemination together with the provincial government is considered a key factor in preventing congestion and accidents in Yogyakarta. This information includes real-time travel time estimates during the Lebaran exodus period. In this way, road users can understand traffic conditions and plan their journeys accordingly.
According to a survey by the Ministry of Transportation, the number of migrants and tourists heading to Yogyakarta is estimated to reach approximately 8.2 million people during this Lebaran holiday. This figure was obtained from various indicators, including estimates of private vehicle usage, the number of train passengers at Tugu and Lempuyangan stations, and monitoring of vehicles entering major toll routes such as the Kalikangkung toll gate. Most migrants are estimated to come from the Jakarta region and its surroundings.