Anticipating Traffic Jams, Government Proposes “WFA” Workers Ahead of Eid

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The Ministry of Transportation has proposed that employees work from anywhere starting March 24, 2025. This is being done to reduce the traffic congestion predicted to occur ahead of the upcoming Eid. However, the follow-up regulation is still awaiting the decision of President Prabowo Subianto.

The government plans to implement a work from anywhere (WFA) system ahead of Eid 2025. This effort is being made to break the traffic jam that will occur several days before Eid, especially since it will be implemented not long after the Nyepi celebration.

Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi stated that the upcoming Eid al-Fitr is predicted to fall on March 31-April 1, 2025. Its observance will coincide closely with the Day of Silence (Nyepi) which will take place on March 29, 2025.

"With the occurrence of two major holidays close together and considering the significant trend of people traveling during the homecoming period, it is recommended that the government and companies implement WFA starting from March 24, 2025," said Dudy virtually in the 2025 inflation control coordination meeting in Jakarta, Monday (17/2/2025).

This effort is expected to anticipate potential congestion at two transportation service points that will be closed during Nyepi. These are the Ketapang Port (East Java)-Gilimanuk (Bali) crossing point, and I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport, Bali.

Based on the trend of Lebaran transportation realization from 2022 to 2024, there has been an increase in the number of trips and public transport passengers. In 2022, the number was 13.6 million passengers, followed by 14.7 million passengers in 2023, and 16.2 million passengers in 2024. The peak of Lebaran homecoming ranges from four days to two days before Eid al-Fitr or D-4 to D-2.

If WFA starts on D-7 Eid or March 24, 2025, the Ministry of Transportation predicts the peak of homecoming will occur on D-3 Eid, which is March 28, 2025. However, if WFA starts on D-5 Eid or March 26, 2025, the predicted peak of homecoming will occur on the same day.

"If we implement WFA starting March 24, 2025, it will relatively not be too much of a spike, more or less estimated to be the same as the previous year. However, if WFA starts March 26, 2025, there will be several spikes such as March 26, 29, and 30, 2025," said Dudy.

Responding to this, Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian stated that if without WFA or employees working in their respective offices, then only moving for holidays, there will be a surge in traffic congestion. The surge will begin on March 26, 2025, and then continue on March 28, 2025.

If the WFA policy for state civil servants (ASN) or employees of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) is allowed to work from anywhere starting March 24, 2025, then congestion can be reduced. He believes that there will be no large surge in the flow of homecoming.

However, Tito said that this policy can only be decided by President Prabowo Subianto. This also needs to be discussed with the Ministry of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform, the Ministry of SOEs, the Ministry of Manpower, and business actors.

"Because if the WFA is too long, we also need to see what the entrepreneurs think. Their production may decrease, while the Eid Allowance is still paid. Maybe there will be one later, but we don't know what the decision will be," said Tito.

Separately, the Chairperson of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) Shinta Kamdani said that the WFA policy has broad implications for the business world. This regulation also cannot be applied uniformly to all sectors.

"Apindo views the WFA proposal ahead of the Lebaran period as a policy that needs to be studied more deeply, especially from the perspective of productivity and the sustainability of business operations. The implementation of this policy cannot be generalized to all business sectors," said Shinta.

There are sectors that are more flexible in implementing WFA, such as the information technology sector and creative professions. However, sectors such as manufacturing, retail, logistics, and tourism still require the physical presence of employees at the work location to maintain smooth operations.

In addition, Shinta continued, WFA in certain periods, such as before religious holidays, must take into account the need to meet the spike in demand and public consumption. If the WFA policy is implemented without careful planning and calculation, it certainly risks disrupting the supply chain, thus also affecting the stability of supply in the market.

Apindo also emphasized the importance of discussions involving all parties, including entrepreneurs, employees, and local governments (Pemda) before the WFA policy is taken. The goal is so that the policy does not disrupt the operational stability of the business world, especially in strategic sectors that contribute significantly to the economy.

"Policies such as WFA should be optional and left to the internal policies of each company, so that they can be adjusted to the specific needs and conditions of each business sector," said Shinta.

As in previous years before Eid, a number of traffic and crossing policies are planned to apply during the Eid transportation period. Some of them are the provision of free homecoming transportation, traffic engineering, and an odd-even system. There are also restrictions on the use of motorbikes, restrictions on crossing transportation, and discounts on toll road rates.

Dudy hopes that the local government can provide feeder transportation from the arrival points of free homecoming participants and consider the WFA policy. He also hopes that the local government will also provide rest areas and review and anticipate areas prone to accidents and congestion.

Another policy that is always implemented by the government is the restriction of goods transport vehicles. The restriction regulation applies to goods vehicles with at least three axles. This also includes goods vehicles with trailers.

Types of vehicles that are temporarily prohibited from passing are those transporting excavation products (soil, sand, and stone), mining products, and building materials. Goods transport that is exempted is transporting fuel oil or gas fuel, livestock, fertilizer, animal feed, natural disaster management needs, free homecoming and return motorbikes, basic goods, and money deliveries.

"Goods vehicles that are exempted must be equipped with a bill of lading. The letter is issued by the owner of the goods being transported and contains the type of goods being transported, the destination of the goods, the name and address of the owner of the goods. The letter is attached to the left windshield," said Dudy.