ASDP Ketapang can use ship procurement budget for new pier

Banyuwangi (ANTARA) - Member of the House of Representatives’ Commission VII, Bambang Haryo Soekartono, stated that PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) could utilise a small portion of its ferry ship procurement budget for constructing a new paired pier at the Ketapang (Banyuwangi)-Gilimanuk (Bali) crossing to avoid recurring congestion.

“The solution is for ASDP to build a new paired pier at Bulusan Pier (Ketapang) as well as in Gilimanuk, so that long queues and congestion like during the 2026 Lebaran mudik/return flow do not happen again,” he said during a working visit to the ASDP Ketapang Branch Office in Banyuwangi Regency, East Java, on Monday.

Bambang explained that the long queues and vehicle congestion stretching up to 40 kilometres on the road to Gilimanuk Port in Jembrana Regency, Bali Province, during the 2026 Lebaran mudik flow, as well as congestion on the national road leading to Ketapang Port in Banyuwangi during the return flow, were not due to a lack of vessel fleet.

“Earlier, during our meeting with everyone, we agreed that the congestion and long vehicle queues during the 2026 Lebaran mudik/return flow were caused by limited piers that need new ones to be built,” said the Gerindra Party faction member of the House of Representatives.

Therefore, according to him, ASDP could use a small portion of the budget for procuring four ferry units this year, in the hope that long queues and congestion will no longer occur during peak mudik/return flow periods for Lebaran or long holidays at the Ketapang-Gilimanuk crossing.

“It will also return to ASDP, because port services, vessel berthing services, and passenger services are handled by ASDP. Our target is that this year, before the new year or before next year’s Lebaran mudik/return flow, there will already be a new pier,” said Bambang.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Indonesian Logistics Drivers Association (ASLI), Selamet Barokah, hopes that House of Representatives member Bambang Haryo Soekartono will continue to oversee the construction of a new pier in Ketapang and Gilimanuk.

“We greatly hope that with the presence of the House of Representatives member, it can continue to push and oversee the construction of a new pier, and this is our aspiration from logistics drivers who are always disadvantaged during congestion; hopefully, this becomes a solution that is quickly realised,” he said.

Previously, the Deputy Director of PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero), Yossianis Marciano, revealed that this year ASDP will strive to improve facilities and infrastructure, including adding piers on the Ketapang Port side as well as Gilimanuk Port.

“We will also reorganise the ports, both in Ketapang and Gilimanuk, so that in the future it will be even smoother,” he said.

Yossi also invited other vessel operators (private sector) to replace their fleets with larger ones than those currently in operation on the Ketapang-Gilimanuk crossing.

“Dozens of ferries operating in the Bali Strait currently have small capacities on average, so the carrying capacity or transport capacity is not maximal. Because population growth continues to be high, this must be accompanied by providing large-sized vessels,” he stated.