Serang, Banten (ANTARA) – The government is optimizing four ports in Banten Province to divert traffic to Sumatra and prevent congestion in Merak, Banten, as part of the 2026 Eid homecoming transportation preparation.Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi noted that Banten is a crucial hub that connects all vehicles from Greater Jakarta heading west (to Sumatra).”If there are 1,000 vehicles from Greater Jakarta heading west (to Sumatra), those 1,000 vehicles will end up in Merak, Banten. It is our responsibility to manage this flow,” he stated after a coordination meeting on the 2026 Homecoming Transportation in Serang City, Banten, on Monday.The four ports have been prepared for different purposes: Merak Port for small cars and buses; Ciwandan Port for motorcycles and small trucks; BBJ Bojonegara Port for large trucks; and Krakatau Bandar Samudera (KBS) as an alternative route to Panjang, Lampung.In addition, the government is preparing an additional 10-12 ferry boats to serve the 2026 Eid al-Fitr homecoming flow in Banten to facilitate the distribution of vehicles from alternative ports.Purwagandhi mentioned that evaluation from last year's Eid al-Fitr homecoming indicated the need for additional fleets at BBJ and Ciwandan.Meanwhile, Banten Governor Andra Soni said that the coordination meeting was the first step in cross-agency consolidation.”Several matters have been discussed earlier, and we will continue to establish coordination for a smooth 2026 Eid al-Fitr homecoming transportation,” he remarked.The 2025 Eid al-Fitr evaluation will serve as a reference for improving services in 2026, including regular monitoring of vehicle movements, he continued.The government targets this port distribution scheme to reduce long queues and congestion on access to Merak during the peak exodus period.The Ministry of Transportation predicts that 143.9 million people will travel during the 2026 Eid al-Fitr holiday period on March.This figure represents a slight decrease of 1.75 percent compared to the previous year with 146.4 million people.To anticipate this surge in traffic during the homecoming period, the ministry has prepared an operational calendar for the 2026 Eid al-Fitr Transportation Period.The government will operate an Eid al-Fitr Transportation Post for 18 days, from March 13 (D-8) to March 30, 2026 (D+9).