Over 327,000 Travelers Return to Java After Eid

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The return flow from Sumatra to Java is gaining significant momentum as over 327,000 travelers have crossed the Sunda Strait in the initial days following the Idul Fitri 1447 Hijri year festivities. This surge highlights the immense pressure on Indonesia’s primary maritime artery as the national holiday period draws to a close.

State-owned ferry operator PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry reported that exactly 327,646 passengers were recorded making the crossing between March 22 and March 25, 2026. This figure represents approximately 36.4 percent of the nearly 900,000 people who originally traveled from Java to Sumatra during the pre-holiday exodus.

The migration of vehicles has followed a similar trajectory, with 89,389 units, roughly 37 percent of the total outbound volume, already back on Javanese soil. Addressing the situation in Jakarta on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, ASDP President Director, Heru Widodo, emphasized that the peak of the return flow is likely still on the horizon.

"This data indicates that the return flow is still in motion and is expected to increase over the next few days," he said, as quoted by Antara.

Heru added that authorities are bracing for an even sharper incline in traffic density as the work week approaches.

While the current statistics reflect a steady homecoming, the sheer scale of the remaining 60 percent of travelers yet to return underscores the logistical challenges facing the ferry service.

ASDP continues to monitor the significant uptick in movement, ensuring that the critical connection between Indonesia’s two most populous islands remains resilient under the weight of the post-holiday rush. ***