A leading transportation expert has sharply criticized the “severe congestion” plaguing Gilimanuk Port in Jembrana, Bali, since Sunday (March 15), asserting that the Ministry of Transportation has demonstrated “negligence” in its management of sea crossings. The prolonged queues and gridlock have led to tragic consequences, including fatalities, prompting widespread concern.
Deddy Herlambang, a Senior Researcher from the Transportation Strategic Initiative (INSTRAN), emphasized that the Ministry of Transportation should have proactively anticipated the surge in travelers during the Eid al-Fitr exodus, especially given its close proximity to the Hindu observance of Nyepi. “We warned them well in advance that Nyepi and Lebaran were very close together,” he stated, visibly frustrated.
By Wednesday (March 18), the severe congestion and vehicle buildup involving both two-wheelers and four-wheelers at Gilimanuk Port, heading towards Ketapang Port in Banyuwangi, persisted. Queues stretched for miles, reaching Pura Tirta Segara Rupek, approximately eight kilometers from Gilimanuk Port. This alarming situation has taken a devastating toll, with one housewife from Kebumen, Central Java, reportedly dying after collapsing from hours of waiting inside a bus attempting to exit Bali. Prior to this, seventeen other travelers had succumbed to exhaustion and heat exposure while queuing to board ferries.
One Traveler Dies Amidst Gridlock
The deceased, identified by the initials RP, a 39-year-old housewife from Kebumen, Central Java, reportedly passed away after losing consciousness during hours of waiting inside a bus at Gilimanuk Port. She was traveling alone from Denpasar on Tuesday (March 17) at approximately 5:00 PM WITA, aboard a Tami Jaya bus bound for Central Java. On Wednesday (March 18), around 6:45 AM WITA, she collapsed inside the bus within the Simpang Manuver area, near the Gilimanuk entrance.
The bus conductor immediately sought help from medical personnel at the location. Although the victim received emergency medical treatment, including Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) at the Quarantine Health Office, her life could not be saved upon arrival at Puskesmas II Melaya. Dr. Suriyono, the duty doctor at the Emergency Unit (UGD) of Puskesmas II Gilimanuk, Melaya, confirmed that the patient was already deceased upon reaching the health facility. External examination revealed no signs of violence. Dr. Suriyono suggested a possible link between her death and the grueling conditions: “If it’s connected to the current situation – long journey, long waiting, physical exhaustion – it’s likely related to physical fatigue.”
Currently, the victim’s body is being held at Puskesmas Gilimanuk and is scheduled to be transported back to her home in Kebumen, Central Java, using an ambulance from Negara General Hospital. Separately, Jembrana Police Chief, Kadek Citra Dewi Suparwati, confirmed the incident, stating, “Indeed, we received a report of a female passenger who passed away inside a bus. We are currently investigating.” Citra assured that despite the tragedy, security for the Eid al-Fitr exodus, under ‘Operation Ketupat Agung 2026’, would remain stringent. She urged travelers to prioritize their health, advising them to report any discomfort to the nearest security post during their journey.
‘This is the Worst Exodus’
The severe traffic congestion and vehicle accumulation at Gilimanuk Port, Bali, impacting travelers heading to Ketapang Port, Banyuwangi, continued relentlessly into Wednesday (March 18). While observations on Sunday (March 15) indicated queues stretching an astonishing 30-40 kilometers, by Wednesday (March 18), they still extended approximately eight kilometers to Pura Tirta Segara Rupek. Many travelers shared their harrowing experiences, painting a grim picture of the situation.
Made Eko Juna, a traveler from Denpasar en route to Banyuwangi with his family, recounted departing Melaya village on Monday afternoon at 5:30 PM WITA and becoming stuck in traffic by 11:00 PM WITA. He finally entered the port’s Cargo Terminal area at 1:30 AM WITA, only to remain trapped in the long queue for ferry crossings until 12:00 PM WITA the following day, Tuesday. This meant his journey consumed nearly two full days. “In my opinion, this year is the worst. The traffic management is terrible, and trucks also heavily contribute to the queues,” he lamented.
Another traveler, Wiwid, also found herself ensnared in the Gilimanuk Port gridlock. She left Denpasar city on Monday night at 10:00 PM WITA but only managed to reach the port by 1:00 PM WITA the next day, Tuesday. “I’m from Denpasar, going to Lumajang, East Java. This year’s exodus seems worse than previous years,” said the woman, who was traveling with three family members. On Tuesday (March 17), the surge in vehicle volume resulted in a 20-kilometer queue stretching to Desa Candikusuma in Melaya District, with authorities attributing the extensive lines to a significant increase in mobility.
PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry, in its official statement, acknowledged the substantial increase in vehicle queues heading to Gilimanuk Port in recent days. The state-owned ferry operator attributed this to a spike in public mobility ahead of the temporary closure of Gilimanuk-Ketapang ferry services and vice-versa for Nyepi, which falls from March 18-20. The simultaneous high volume of vehicle movement, they stated, placed immense pressure on the service capacity. Data from the Gilimanuk Post for the 24 hours leading up to March 17, 2026 (*Note: The year “2026” appears to be a typo in the original text, as other dates point to the current year. We are proceeding with the assumption that the event is current.), recorded 25,105 vehicles crossing from Bali to Java, with a significant increase of 16,909 two-wheelers. Total ferry trips amounted to 243 crossings, transporting 74,263 passengers. Cumulatively, from H-10 to H-4, the number of passengers reached 383,398, and vehicles totaled 122,892 units.
Yossianis Marciano, Deputy President Director of PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry, claimed that tactical measures had been implemented to directly impact the situation on the ground. These included deploying the KMP Prima Nusantara, a relief vessel owned by PT Jembatan Nusantara, to the Ketapang-Gilimanuk route to boost transport capacity and accelerate loading and unloading processes. “All resources are currently focused on accelerating service stabilization on the ground. The deployment of KMP Prima Nusantara is a concrete step to increase service capacity on the busiest route. We are also continuously optimizing ship operational patterns to ensure faster crossings and reduce queues,” Yossianis stated.
‘Mitigation Severely Lacking’
Deddy Herlambang from INSTRAN reiterated his earlier warnings to the Ministry of Transportation and Indonesian port operators to prepare for the surge in travelers in Bali. The peak of the Eid al-Fitr exodus, he highlighted, coincided directly with Nyepi, meaning many migrants in Bali, predominantly from East Java, would be heading home before port closures for Nyepi. “We had discussions with them (port managers and the Ministry of Transportation), we issued warnings: be careful, Nyepi and Lebaran are very close,” Deddy Herlambang told BBC News Indonesia on Wednesday (March 18).
Deddy critically assessed the mitigation strategies devised by the Ministry of Transportation and port operators as “severely lacking.” He claimed that most ferries were disproportionately concentrated at the three Merak-Bakauheni ports—Ciwandan, BJJ Bojonegoro, and Merak—even though observations showed Merak Port was relatively quiet during the initial days of the exodus. In light of this, he argued, the Ministry of Transportation should have redirected some of these “idle” vessels to Gilimanuk Port, especially considering Bali’s limited port capacity. “This is clear negligence,” he asserted. To alleviate the queues, Deddy suggested that Gilimanuk Port management deploy more Ro-Ro (Roll-on/roll-off) vessels that do not require specialized docks for berthing, thereby expediting the loading and unloading process. “These vehicle ferries can cross via the beach, so they don’t need to go to a dock. Transactions can be made directly between the ship owner, the ship operator, and the crossing passenger.”
Separately, Djoko Setijowarno, Advisory Board Member of the Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI), argued that the fundamental issue behind the lengthy queues at Gilimanuk Port was not merely the surge in vehicle volume, as claimed by PT ASDP Indonesia. The core problem, he explained, lies in an unorganized port arrival system and the failure to expand dock infrastructure in tandem with the increase in the fleet, both in terms of quantity, quality, and capacity. “As long as dock infrastructure is not increased, the roads leading to the port will continue to be burdened and effectively turn into vehicle parking areas,” he explained.
To untangle this complex issue, Djoko proposed an integrated solution encompassing increased dock capacity to match the number of vessels, improved scheduled vehicle arrival management, and the implementation of online booking systems for all vehicles. Additionally, he emphasized the need for adequate buffer zones before vehicles enter the main port area, preventing queues from overflowing and causing road congestion. He drew a comparison between the Java-Bali and Java-Sumatra routes, noting that the latter, with its three ports, offers high flexibility due to numerous operational port options. Conversely, the Java-Bali crossing appears riskier because it relies solely on the single Ketapang-Gilimanuk axis. “Without comparable alternative ports, every surge of travelers on this route is almost guaranteed to trigger long, intractable queues,” he concluded.
Government Offers Apology and Action Plan
The Minister of State Secretary, Prasetyo Hadi, extended apologies for the severe traffic congestion, stretching approximately 31 kilometers, on the roads leading to Gilimanuk Port in Jembrana, Bali. He attributed the gridlock to an extraordinary surge in vehicle traffic at the Ketapang-Gilimanuk crossing. Despite the challenges, he assured the public that officers were diligently working on the ground to alleviate the queues. “Indeed, there have been some incidents for which we apologize; there’s been a buildup due to truly extraordinary traffic at the Ketapang and Gilimanuk crossings,” Prasetyo stated during a press briefing in Jakarta on Tuesday (March 17, 2026 – *Note: The year “2026” appears to be a typo in the original text, as other dates point to the current year. We are proceeding with the assumption that the event is current.). “But we are fully committed to continuous monitoring, and field officers are working tirelessly to find solutions to reduce congestion and queues,” he added.
Prasetyo affirmed that the government is striving to ensure a smooth Eid al-Fitr exodus, involving various relevant agencies in the effort. He also commended individuals who utilized “work from anywhere” (WFA) policies to travel earlier, noting that this strategy helped reduce traffic density. Furthermore, he extended gratitude to the security forces and institutions involved in securing and managing the exodus, from the police to the Ministry of Transportation and related State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs). President Prabowo Subianto, he revealed, had instructed ministries and agencies, including the TNI (Indonesian National Armed Forces), to deploy transportation resources, including naval vessels, to support the smooth flow of the exodus. “This includes preparing our naval ships to help facilitate the smooth flow of travelers,” he stated.
Earlier, Minister of Transportation, Dudy Purwagandhi, confirmed that the government, in collaboration with Korlantas Polri (National Police Traffic Corps) and PT ASDP, was continuously optimizing on-the-ground management. This involved operating large-capacity ferries, increasing the fleet to 35 units, optimizing buffer zones, and implementing an ‘arrive-unload-depart’ system to accelerate services. Compliance with operational restrictions on freight transport, particularly trucks with three or more axles, was also highlighted as a critical factor in maintaining the smooth flow of vehicles to the port. During a review on Tuesday (March 17), Bali Police Chief Daniel Adityajaya provided strategic directives to the Jembrana Police Chief and staff, instructing them to create alternative parking pockets to accommodate ferry queues. This measure aims to disperse vehicle accumulation, which has historically relied heavily on the Gilimanuk Cargo Terminal. “In addition to engineering additional parking pockets, crossing priority must also be given to two-wheelers, private vehicles, and logistics vehicles to ensure the smooth distribution of essential supplies,” Daniel emphasized.
Christine Nababan in Bali contributed to this report.
Summary
Gilimanuk Port in Jembrana, Bali, experienced