The state ferry operator is increasing fleet capacity and optimizing port operations as rising school holiday travel and adverse weather conditions cause congestion at Ketapang Port, a key gateway to Bali
PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) is deploying additional vessels and optimizing port operations to ease congestion at Ketapang Port, where vehicle queues swelled during the school holiday season amid increased travel demand and challenging weather conditions in the Bali Strait.
Vehicle queues heading to the port stretched to about five kilometers on Wednesday, prompting the state-owned ferry operator to mobilize all available resources to accelerate crossings and maintain service reliability.
The congestion began on June 21 as a surge in holiday travel coincided with unfavorable weather conditions that affected ferry operations. Higher wind speeds and wave heights, particularly during nighttime crossings, required operators to adjust loading and unloading procedures to maintain sailing safety.
Traffic volumes rose sharply during the period. On June 21, the number of vehicles crossing through Ketapang reached 9,571 units, up 23% from 7,769 units a day earlier. Private passenger vehicles recorded the largest increase, climbing 30% to 2,188 units from 1,681 units.
The situation was compounded by operational disruptions affecting two long-distance ferry vessels operated by PT ALP, resulting in some freight traffic being diverted to regular ferry services.
ASDP President Director Heru Widodo apologized for the disruption and said the company was working closely with regulators and other stakeholders to restore normal traffic flow.
“We understand the inconvenience experienced by passengers during this period of high mobility and are deploying all available resources to accelerate service normalization and maintain smooth ferry operations,” Heru said.
To increase capacity, ASDP has optimized operations across all available berths and vessels. Thirty vessels are operating at the Moveable Bridge (MB) Pier, while Bulusan Pier continues normal operations with additional support from KMP Portlink VII.
The company has also deployed one vessel at the Landing Craft Machine (LCM) Pier using a full arrival-unload-departure scheme to speed up freight vehicle movements. Meanwhile, KMP Prathita is serving motorcycle traffic through the pontoon pier to help reduce queues.
Despite the temporary diversion of some freight vehicles from long-distance ferries, ASDP said it continues to prioritize the movement of private vehicles and buses to support public mobility during the holiday period.
The mitigation measures have begun to show results. By Thursday afternoon, vehicle queues at Ketapang Port had been reduced to around 2.5 kilometers, roughly half the level recorded a day earlier.
ASDP Corporate Secretary Windy Andale said the company is also encouraging travelers to take advantage of a government fare incentive program available at 14 ports across seven strategic ferry routes, including the Ketapang-Gilimanuk crossing.
Under the program, passengers receive a 100% discount on port service charges, reducing total ferry ticket costs by an average of about 21.9%. The incentive applies to departures between June 20 and July 5.
Windy urged travelers to purchase tickets in advance through the Ferizy platform and arrive at the port according to their scheduled departure times to help reduce congestion.
ASDP said it will continue monitoring operations and coordinating with regulators and industry stakeholders to maintain smooth ferry services and ensure connectivity during the peak holiday travel period.