Jakarta. Jakarta's post-Eid al-Fitr travel surge continues to climb sharply as of Saturday, six days after the holiday. Authorities report that approximately 2.2 million people have returned to the Greater Jakarta area via toll roads in Central Java alone.

National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo said that around 40 percent of travelers had already made their return journeys. “Preliminary data shows that roughly 2.1 to 2.2 million people have returned. This marks a significant increase compared to the outflow during the pre-Eid exodus,” he said on Saturday.

The police chief said that the return flow is typically shorter than the outward journey, demanding greater vigilance. He has instructed all personnel to remain fully alert across toll and arterial roads. “Officers must remain on standby and provide maximum service, including implementing continuous traffic engineering,” he stated.

To manage the peak return traffic, the police will implement a nationwide one-way traffic system starting Sunday, from Kalikangkung Toll Gate in Semarang towards West Java and Jakarta. “The one-way system begins at 9 a.m. and will be adjusted based on real-time traffic monitoring,” Listyo said.

He also urged travelers to rest if fatigued, warning against continuing long drives without breaks. “Anyone feeling tired should stop at the nearest rest area. Do not force yourself to drive when exhausted,” he advised.

Meanwhile, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (Soetta) is expected to see its peak return traffic on Sunday with 182,843 passenger movements, maintaining its status as Indonesia’s busiest airport during the holiday season. Of these, 97,528 are arrivals and 85,315 departures, with the highest activity recorded in Terminals 2 and 3.

Terminal 2 handled 278 domestic flights with 44,485 passengers, while Terminal 3 managed 254 domestic flights serving 38,839 travelers. The top five airports feeding into Soetta include Ngurah Rai (Bali), Kualanamu (Medan), Sultan Hasanuddin (Makassar), Juanda (Surabaya), and Supadio (Pontianak).

Heavy traffic was also observed at Bakauheni Port in Lampung, a key crossing point to Java. By Saturday afternoon, all seven docks were packed with vehicles, including private cars, motorcycles, buses, and redirected trucks.

Ferry operator ASDP reported 10,976 vehicles and 46,844 passengers crossed from Sumatra to Java by midday. Since April 1, a total of 391,586 passengers have returned, with another 578,579 expected in the coming days. Authorities remain on high alert to maintain smooth operations during the ongoing peak travel period.

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