Indonesia’s state ferry operator transported more than 804,000 passengers and 215,000 vehicles during the holiday period, maintaining smooth operations across key crossings.
PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) transported more than 804,000 passengers and 215,000 vehicles during the Eid al-Adha, Vesak Day and Pancasila Day holiday period, maintaining smooth operations across Indonesia’s busiest ferry routes despite a surge in travel demand.
The state-owned ferry operator said its four main ports — Merak, Bakauheni, Ketapang and Gilimanuk — handled 804,195 passengers and 215,110 vehicles between May 26 and June 1, highlighting the growing importance of ferry transport in supporting inter-island mobility.
ASDP President Director Heru Widodo said the company had implemented a series of measures to ensure safe and efficient services during the extended holiday period.
“We are committed to providing reliable, safe and comfortable ferry services,” Heru said in a statement. “ASDP optimized fleet deployment and port infrastructure, strengthened operational controls and coordinated closely with stakeholders to ensure passenger and vehicle flows remained well managed.”
Traffic on major routes linking Java, Sumatra and Bali began rising on May 26. The Merak-Bakauheni crossing served 37,962 passengers and 11,101 vehicles, while the Gilimanuk-Ketapang route handled 31,565 passengers and 10,931 vehicles.
Travel volumes increased further on May 30. On the Merak-Bakauheni route, passenger traffic rose 25.44% and vehicle traffic climbed 28.55% from the previous day. Passenger numbers on the Gilimanuk-Ketapang route increased 27.20%, while vehicle traffic grew 22.66%.
The return journey peaked toward the end of the holiday period. On June 1, the Bakauheni-Merak crossing recorded 50,436 passengers, up 13.38% from the previous day, while vehicle traffic reached 12,475 units, a 16.73% increase.
On the Ketapang-Gilimanuk route, the highest return-flow volume was recorded on May 31, when 29,075 passengers and 9,092 vehicles crossed between Java and Bali.
ASDP Corporate Secretary Windy Andale said the company implemented several operational measures to maintain smooth services, including optimizing fleet and port capacity, operating delay systems at buffer zones, deploying additional personnel and establishing coordination posts at strategic locations.
Windy said the One Gate System at Merak Port helped accelerate vehicle distribution to ferry berths in a more orderly and measurable manner. On the Ketapang-Gilimanuk route, the deployment of KMP Roditha increased transport capacity during peak travel periods.
ASDP also continued to expand the use of its Ferizy digital ticketing platform, enabling passengers to reserve tickets online and better plan their journeys while helping regulate vehicle arrivals at ports.
“ASDP will continue to strengthen the transformation of ferry services to provide safer, more reliable and more comfortable transportation while supporting national connectivity and public mobility,” Windy said.