Arus Balik at Merak Port Launched, Officers Arrange Personnel at Peak Time

The situation of the reverse flow at the Merak port, Sunday morning (ANTARA/Desi Purnama Sari)

CILEGON - The peak of the 2026 Lebaran return flow is observed to be smooth at the Merak Port, Cilegon City, Banten Province. In the early hours of Sunday, the flow of vehicles flowed without any significant obstacles.

This smoothness is seen from the absence of passenger and vehicle congestion in the port pier area.

Hundreds of four-wheeled and two-wheeled vehicles that have just come down from the ferry can immediately exit the port area without experiencing congestion in certain areas.

The process of unloading the ship runs very efficiently thanks to good coordination between related agencies.

Rahmat (45), one of the passengers from Bandar Lampung, Lampung, who was going to Bekasi, West Java, when he was met at the Merak Port, early Sunday, admitted that the smooth flow of the return flow this year.

"Alhamdulillah, the return trip this year is very smooth. The queue when getting off the ship is quite fast and the officers in the field are very quick to direct the entry and exit lanes of the port," he said as quoted by ANTARA, March 29.

Meanwhile, the Head of Public Relations of the Banten Police, AKBP Maruli Ahiles Hutapea, said the Banten Police predicted that the peak of the 2026 Lebaran return flow from Sumatra to Java Island through the Merak Port would occur on March 28 to 29, 2026. The surge in vehicles is expected to increase significantly during that period.

"The flow of vehicles from Sumatra to Java is predicted to dominate the movement. This condition is the main concern of the police on the ground," he said.

This is in line with the readiness of the Banten Police in facing the surge in vehicles. Traffic arrangements will be carried out to the maximum by officers in the field.

All personnel will be on alert for 24 hours to anticipate congestion.

In addition to the deployment of personnel, the Banten Police also prepared traffic engineering, one of which was through the implementation of a contraflow system if needed.

This scheme is carried out to reduce the increasing vehicle density, especially on toll roads leading to the Jakarta area.

Based on data from the Bakauheni Post on Lebaran H+6, 112 trips were recorded operating to serve the return flow. The total number of passengers crossing from Sumatra to Java from H-10 to H+6 reached 1,148,252 people or an increase of 2.5 percent compared to the same period last year.

At H+6, the volume of two-wheeled vehicles from Sumatra to Java reached 11,661 units, while four-wheeled vehicles reached 14,142 units. The total number of vehicles crossing on that day was recorded at 26,565 units.

Conversely, from Java to Sumatra via Merak Post at H+6, it was recorded to operate 128 trips with a total of 11,901 vehicles.

Cumulatively from H-10 to H+6, the number of passengers heading to Sumatra reached 1,266,794 people with a total of 319,121 vehicles crossing.