ASDP adjusts Bali Strait ferry operations due to rough seas
ASDP official Arief Eko Kurniansjah said in Banyuwangi on Thursday that the operational adjustments are part of the company’s risk mitigation measures to ensure every voyage complies with maritime safety standards.
“Ferry operations remain highly dependent on weather conditions at sea. Changes in wind speed and wave height can occur at any time, requiring services to be suspended or resumed based on field monitoring and recommendations from the relevant authorities,” he said.
Kurniansjah noted that ferry services on the Ketapang-Gilimanuk route were temporarily suspended on Wednesday (July 29) before gradually resuming after weather conditions were deemed safe for navigation.
He stressed that passenger and vessel safety remains the company’s top priority, adding that operational adjustments are carried out solely as a precaution whenever wind speeds and wave heights exceed shipping safety limits.
“Once conditions improve and the authorities declare it safe, ferry services will gradually return to normal operations,” he said.
According to Kurniansjah, vehicle queues at Ketapang Port remain manageable. The buffer zone in the Bulusan area has begun to accommodate additional vehicles, resulting in congestion near the port entrance.
“There are no significant queues inside the port area. At Gilimanuk Port, vehicle queues remain within the port’s maneuvering area,” he said.
He added that ASDP has intensified coordination with relevant agencies to minimize disruptions for passengers and freight operators while optimizing the Bulusan buffer zone as a temporary holding area, particularly for logistics vehicles.
“We are also preparing additional vessels to accelerate the clearance of vehicle queues once weather conditions improve and navigation is declared safe,” he said.
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Translator: Novi Husdinariyanto, Cindy Frishanti Octavia