Drivers Renew Calls for More Piers at Ketapang–Gilimanuk After Long Queues

Surabaya — Drivers and ferry operators are renewing calls for more piers at the Ketapang–Gilimanuk crossing after vehicle queues toward the Java–Bali gateway reached more than 10 kilometers in late August and early September, according to Indonesian media reports and a recent article in The Jakarta Post. Long lines of trucks and private vehicles have repeatedly paralyzed traffic on the approach roads to Ketapang in Banyuwangi, East Java, and Gilimanuk in Bali.

The Jakarta Post reported on September 11 that drivers are demanding additional piers to ease congestion at one of Indonesia’s busiest ferry crossings between Java and Bali. The crossing is described as a major route handling around 10,000–15,000 vehicles per day, with traffic volumes roughly doubling during peak periods such as Idul Fitri and the Christmas and New Year holidays, according to the same report.

Industry representatives say the bottleneck is driven more by limited pier capacity than by a shortage of vessels. According to the National River, Lake and Crossing Ferry Operators’ Association (Gapasdap), the crossing currently has about 55–56 ferries with permits to operate, but only a portion can be deployed at any one time because of constraints at the docks.

Fleet capacity and pier constraints

The Jakarta Post cited Gapasdap’s head of business and tariffs, Rahmatika Ardianto, as saying that adding piers is the only lasting solution to recurring congestion at Ketapang–Gilimanuk. He argued that increasing the number of ferries without expanding pier infrastructure would not resolve the queues.

Separate reports from Gapasdap and local broadcasters give more detail on the balance between ships and pier capacity. According to Gapasdap, around 55–56 ferries have operating permits on the route, but in normal conditions only about 28–32 vessels can run each day because the number of available piers is limited. During the recent congestion, Gapasdap said effective operations fell to about 23 vessels as some piers were taken out of service for maintenance or due to technical problems.

Gapasdap and local media report that the crossing is served by seven paired piers, each pair consisting of four movable bridges (MB) and three landing craft machine (LCM) facilities, split between Ketapang and Gilimanuk. With this infrastructure, operators say not all ferries can load and unload simultaneously, which reduces throughput and contributes to queues during busy periods.

Extent of recent queues

Local outlets in East Java reported that vehicle queues on roads leading to Ketapang reached between about 13 and 16 kilometers in the period from August 30 to early September 2026, driven largely by an increase in logistics trucks. A Banyuwangi-based report on September 4 said congestion on the Situbondo–Banyuwangi route was linked to lines of vehicles heading to the ferry crossing that stretched up to around 15 kilometers. Another outlet quoted regional legislators saying queues had previously reached approximately 16 kilometers before easing to around four kilometers.

According to ASDP Indonesia Ferry, the state-owned company that operates the crossing, the long queues were caused by a combination of increased freight traffic, limited capacity at several piers, disruptions at an alternative pier and the dominance of heavy trucks, among other operational factors. ASDP officials said that, by early September, road queues had largely been relocated into holding areas near the port as additional vessels were deployed and pier operations were adjusted.

Calls for expansion and operational measures

Gapasdap has repeatedly urged the government and port operators to expand pier capacity at Ketapang–Gilimanuk. The association has proposed the construction of three additional pier pairs and called for faster completion of repair and upgrade works at existing facilities, including the MB II pier at Ketapang and the Bulusan pier, which have faced extended closures and technical issues.

As reported by Gapasdap and regional media, short-term measures advocated by operators include separating light vehicles from heavy trucks before they enter the port area, creating buffer zones for freight vehicles, optimizing alternative piers for specific vessel types and tightening loading and unloading times while maintaining safety standards.

The Jakarta Post noted that drivers are seeking more piers but did not report any firm timetable for new construction or expansion at Ketapang or Gilimanuk. Other outlets likewise describe ongoing discussions between ASDP, Gapasdap and government agencies, but do not cite a formal announcement of new pier projects or completion dates.

Sources

• The Jakarta Post
• Jatimnet.com
• Wartatrans.com
• Investortrust.id
• RRI.co.id (Banyuwangi/Jember regional pages)
• Suara Surabaya
• Wartanow.com