Kakorlantas Prepares National One Way at Peak of Mudik Flow on March 18, 2026

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, CIKAMPEK — The Traffic Corps (Korlantas) Police predicts the peak of Lebaran 2026 homecoming flow will occur on March 18. The police prepared various traffic engineering scenarios, including the implementation of a national one way to control the surge of vehicles heading towards the Trans Java line.

Head of the Indonesian National Police Traffic Corps (Kakorlantas) Irjen Pol Agus Suryonugroho delivered this prediction in a press conference at the Integrated Post of Operation Ketupat Lodaya 2026 of West Java Police in Rest Area KM 57 of the Jakarta—Cikampek Toll Road, Monday (16/3/2026) evening. So far, police say about 28 percent of vehicles have left Jakarta heading east and west.

“We announce that I have coordinated with Mr. Menteri and Dirut Jasa Marga, the peak of the homecoming flow is expected on the 18th,” Agus said, quoted Tuesday (17/3/2026).

Korlantas estimates about 3.5 million vehicles will move out of Jakarta towards the Trans Java line to Cikupa, Banten, as well as towards the crossing port to Sumatra. Vehicle movements are predicted to continue to increase as most settlers have not yet left the capital.

Agus said traffic conditions are still under control even though the volume of vehicles has started to increase. Police prepared various traffic engineering scenarios on both expressways as well as arterial lanes in anticipation of a surge of vehicles in the coming days.

“The projected three and a half million vehicles that will leave Jakarta for Trans Java, until now only twenty-eight percent have left. That means we still manage almost seventy-two per cent of vehicle movements,” he said.

Korlantas divides Operation Ketupat's security focus in five main clusters. Safeguards include expressways, national arterial roads, crossing ports, places of worship, as well as tourist sites that are expected to be crowded during the homecoming period.

Traffic engineering such as contraflow and one way on expressways is prepared following the development of traffic accounting data. Work from anywhere (WFA) policies are also considered to help spread the departure time of travelers so that they do not stack up on one specific day.

Agus stressed Operation Ketupat was not only concerned with traffic regulation. The operation was also directed at keeping people safe during the momentum of Ramadan, Eid, and Nyepi celebrations.

“Operation Ketupat is a humanitarian operation. Safety, order and smoothness are top priorities,” Kakorlantas said.