The Government Offers Toll Discounts and End-of-Year Transportation Stimulus During the Christmas and New Year Holidays
By: Gavin Asadit )*
The government has officially launched a transportation stimulus package to welcome the 2025 Christmas and 2026 New Year (Nataru) holidays. This policy includes not only toll road discounts but also discounts on various modes of public transportation, such as trains, ships, ferry services, and special incentives for economy class flights.
This measure is designed as a concerted effort to reduce the burden of travel costs, which typically rise sharply towards the end of the year. In addition to reducing household expenses, the policy also aims to ensure a smooth flow of homecoming and return trips, preventing vehicle congestion at crucial points such as the Trans-Java toll road, major ports, and airports, which experience a surge in passengers.
One of the most prominent components is the toll road discount program. The government has set toll rate cuts ranging from 10 to 20 percent, selectively applied to 26 toll road sections, and specifically on three peak days: December 22, 23, and 31, 2025. The coverage area includes sections in Greater Jakarta (Jabodetabek), Trans Java, Non-Java, and Trans Sumatra. This policy is intended to reduce congestion and lower the cost burden on toll road users on peak days.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto emphasized that this stimulus package is a presidential directive to maintain affordable mobility and stimulate economic activity ahead of the end of the year. He added that public mobility is a crucial component and plays a significant role in driving economic growth, and therefore needs to be optimized during the 2025/2026 Christmas and New Year holidays by providing more affordable transportation services.
Meanwhile, the stimulus package also extends discounts to all modes of transportation. For trains, PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) has allocated a quota of approximately 1.5 million economy-class tickets with a 30 percent discount for the travel period from December 22, 2025, to January 10, 2026. This policy aims to encourage passengers to shift from private vehicles to rail transportation to reduce congestion and improve safety on medium- and long-distance trips.
In the maritime and ferry sector, PT PELNI and PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry are also tasked with distributing discounts. PELNI is providing a 20 percent discount on ferry tickets purchased between December 17, 2025, and January 10, 2026, while ferry services are receiving a reduction in port service fees equivalent to an average discount of around 19 percent on priority routes. This step is considered strategic for maintaining inter-island connectivity, particularly for coastal communities and 3T (frontier, outermost, and disadvantaged) areas.
Air transportation is a key component of the stimulus package. The government, through the Government-Borne VAT (DTP) mechanism and in collaboration with operators, is implementing an average 13-14 percent reduction in airfares for economy class tickets during the Christmas and New Year (Nataru) period, with the goal of reaching millions of passengers. Several major airlines, such as Garuda Indonesia and Citilink, have confirmed discounts of around 13-14 percent and are prepared to expand their fleets to meet the surge in demand.
Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi also provided a technical explanation of the stimulus implementation. He encouraged the public to take advantage of the discount period and plan their trips early to secure discounted tickets and avoid last-minute surges in demand. The Ministry of Transportation also emphasized operator readiness and safety monitoring efforts throughout the Christmas and New Year (Nataru) period.
From the operator’s perspective, PT Kereta Api Indonesia explained the purchasing mechanism and list of trains that receive discounted quotas, complete with cancellation provisions and schedule changes according to regulations. Meanwhile, Garuda Indonesia Deputy President Director Thomas Sugiarto Oentoro said that Garuda has prepared its fleet and cabin crew to serve the public throughout the period. They have also prepared additional fleet and crew to operate flights during the Christmas and New Year period and will implement ticket discounts of around 13-14 percent. This statement by the operator confirms the readiness of supply to accommodate the increase in demand.
The implementation of this stimulus also comes with several notes and suggestions for the public. First, the discount is quota-based and subject to the terms and conditions of each operator, meaning early booking is recommended to secure the discounted price and desired departure schedule. Second, despite the lower prices, authorities emphasize that safety remains a priority: ramp checks, increased fleet readiness, and inter-agency coordination will continue to be intensified. Third, for toll road users, paying attention to the discount’s effective dates (December 22, 23, and 31, 2025) is crucial for planning affordable toll road trips.
At a macro level, the transportation stimulus package is expected to help restore demand in the services sector and boost consumption in the fourth quarter of 2025. However, the program’s success also depends on technical execution by operators, regulatory oversight, and public travel behavior during the holidays. With integrated cross-modal discounts, the government hopes that the 2025/2026 Christmas and New Year (Nataru) holiday season will be more affordable, safe, and comfortable for millions of travelers and travelers.
)* The author is an observer of social and community issues
