Holiday preparations and proposed WFA dates
Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said in Jakarta on Nov. 6 that his talks with Manpower Minister Yassierli covered holiday transportation operations and safety. The ministers also reviewed the previous year-end operations and discussed closer coordination on public safety messaging.
"We discussed preparations for Christmas and New Year transportation operations and cooperation in improving transportation safety," Purwagandhi said. He explained that the work-from-anywhere (WFA) proposal required consultation with Yassierli because it concerned labor affairs.
The Transportation Ministry has proposed WFA on Dec. 21-22, 2026, and Jan. 4, 2027, to spread out holiday travel. Land Transportation Director General Aan Suhanan announced those dates after an Oct. 27 coordination meeting in Jakarta, saying the proposal still needed further discussion with the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs (Kemenko PMK).
At the Oct. 27 meeting, Suhanan forecast four periods of peak mobility during the Christmas and New Year holiday season, known as Nataru: Dec. 23-24, Dec. 27-28 and Dec. 30-31, 2026, followed by Jan. 3-4, 2027.
Toll-road controls and transport safety
Suhanan also said on Oct. 27 that the ministry was discussing a Joint Decree (SKB) for toll-road traffic management during Nataru. The planned measures included freight-vehicle restrictions and traffic engineering tailored to conditions on the ground.
Land transport preparations called for vehicle roadworthiness inspections, or ramp checks, focused on intercity (AKAP) and tourism buses. The ministry also planned to check drivers, monitor terminal readiness and map locations prone to crashes or congestion.
According to Suhanan, the ministry planned to coordinate that work with the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police Traffic Corps (Korlantas Polri), the Public Works Ministry, the meteorology agency (BMKG), toll road operators and regional administrations.
In the Nov. 5 ministerial talks, Purwagandhi called for stronger regulations and closer field oversight to improve transportation safety. He described the discussion positively and welcomed continued cooperation between the two ministries.
Command post to coordinate the travel response
The Transportation Ministry also plans to set up an integrated transportation command post to help handle the expected holiday travel surge from Dec. 18, 2026, through Jan. 6, 2027. The plan is part of its commitment to work with relevant stakeholders on safe, smooth year-end operations.
The post is intended to bring monitoring and coordination together so participating stakeholders can respond quickly to disruptions in traffic or transportation services.
