Denpasar Drivers Queue for Fuel Despite Empty Station

Denpasar — Residents continued queuing on Jalan Tukad Pakerisan on Oct. 13 even after being told that the Denpasar Barat station had run out of gasoline. The line lasted as long as three hours, stretched about half a kilometre and slowed traffic along the road.

The queue reflected a broader fuel-supply disruption across Bali. Drivers said they had difficulty finding gasoline elsewhere, while some other stations had also run out of stock. At the Jalan Tukad Pakerisan station, attendants told customers that supplies were expected later in the afternoon, but some residents said they were prepared to wait until evening because alternatives were scarce.

Why the Denpasar queue matters to residents and visitors

For foreign residents and visitors, the episode meant that a routine trip by car or motorbike could involve a lengthy wait even at a station where fuel was unavailable. The disruption also affected movement beyond the station itself: the vehicle buildup extended roughly half a kilometre and caused traffic on Jalan Tukad Pakerisan to slow.

The shortage followed an instruction the previous day from Bali Governor I Wayan Koster to Pertamina to improve fuel distribution. Pertamina Patra Niaga Regional Jatimbalinus said deliveries were scheduled through the fuel terminals at Sanggaran and Manggis on Oct. 12, Oct. 14 and Oct. 16. The planned shipments totalled 26,200 kilolitres.

The schedule was presented as part of an effort to maintain supplies and meet fuel demand in Bali. The reports also said queues had appeared in Denpasar and Gianyar, showing that the problem extended beyond a single station.

Sources

• detikBali — regional news organisation
• bali.tribunnews.com
• pantau.com