JAKARTA - PT Perkebunan Nusantara IV (PTPN IV) PalmCo today officially opened the registration for the 2026 Free Eid Homecoming program.
The state-owned palm oil plantation company is preparing more than 1,000 seats for the public in Sumatra and Kalimantan operational areas which can be registered from Thursday, February 12.
The President Director of PTPN IV PalmCo, Jatmiko K. Santosa, said this program is part of the agenda of Mudik Bersama BUMN ahead of Eid al-Fitr 1447 Hijriah, with the aim of providing safe and comfortable travel for people who want to go home.
He explained that the early registration opening was carried out so that prospective travelers have enough time to plan the trip.
"Our registration is open earlier so that people are not in a hurry and can prepare themselves well. This is not just an annual agenda, but part of our commitment to be present and provide real benefits," Jatmiko told reporters, Thursday, February 12.
Jatmiko revealed that PalmCo deployed 25 bus units spread across seven company regions. The fleet will serve at least 12 main routes connecting a number of strategic cities, including Medan, Pekanbaru, Jambi, Palembang, to Pontianak.
"We see that the need for mobility across Sumatra and Kalimantan is quite high. Therefore, the routes chosen are routes with significant tourist flows, especially around our operational areas," said Jatmiko.
He added that this program is open to the general public, especially workers and families around the company's operational area.
PalmCo also pays special attention to vulnerable groups such as the elderly, pregnant women, and children.
"We provide special quotas for the elderly, pregnant women, and families with small children. Hopefully, they can go home more calmly and do not have to cram into private vehicles or inadequate transportation," he said.
In terms of safety, Jatmiko ensures that all fleets have undergone a roadworthiness inspection (ramp check) process and are driven by experienced professional drivers.
"Safety is a priority. All buses have gone through technical checks and the drivers on duty have experience traveling long distances. We want to ensure that the journey goes smoothly and minimize risks," he said.
He assessed that the provision of free buses also has the potential to reduce the use of private vehicles during the homecoming flow. Thus, traffic congestion on a number of major routes can be suppressed.
"If more people switch to shared transportation, the burden on the road will be reduced. This is in line with the spirit of safe and sustainable homecoming," said Jatmiko.
Apart from safety aspects, social and economic impacts are also considered by companies. According to him, free transportation facilities can help people save on travel costs, so that existing funds can be diverted to other needs in their hometowns.
"Saving transportation costs is certainly important for families. On the other hand, the mobility of travelers will also encourage economic circulation in the destination area," he said.
The entire registration process is carried out online through the official social media channel of PTPN IV PalmCo in each region. Prospective participants are asked to prepare ID cards and family cards for data verification purposes.
"The process we make simple and integrated digitally. People just access information through our official channels, then follow the registration stages available," said Jatmiko.
For PalmCo, the free homecoming program is not only seen as a corporate social responsibility activity, but also part of the role of SOEs in supporting more orderly and inclusive community mobility.
"As a state-owned enterprise, we want to contribute to maintaining the tradition of homecoming to be safe and comfortable. In the future, we hope this program can continue and provide wider benefits," said Jatmiko.
With a quota of more than 1,000 travelers and the support of dozens of fleets, PalmCo targets this program to be one of the alternative Lebaran transportation in Sumatra and Kalimantan - at the same time emphasizing the role of state-owned enterprises in public services in the annual homecoming momentum.
The routes provided this year are Medan - Pekanbaru, Medan - Banda Aceh, Medan - Padang, Medan - Padang Sidimpuan, Medan - Panyabungan, Pekanbaru - Medan, Pekanbaru - Padang, Pekanbaru Padang Sidimpuan, Jambi - Medan, Jambi - Padang and Pontianak - Sintang.
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