ASDP Ketapang Deploys Large-Capacity Vessels to Ease Traffic Congestion
Situbondo (ANTARA) - PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) Ketapang Branch, Banyuwangi, East Java, is maximising the operation of large-capacity vessels to alleviate vehicle queues that have reached approximately 12 kilometres.
ASDP President Director Heru Widodo stated that 25 large-capacity ferry units, including three auxiliary vessels, are being operated to accelerate vehicle movement and ensure smooth ferry services on the Ketapang-Gilimanuk route.
“The company, alongside regulators and relevant stakeholders, continues to take acceleration measures to optimise ferry service capacity and alleviate vehicle congestion,” he said in a written statement received in Banyuwangi, East Java, on Thursday.
Heru stated that the company will continue its efforts to provide the best service to the public amidst the dynamic operational conditions of the ferry crossing.
“We will also continue to conduct continuous evaluations and improvements so that services on this route become increasingly optimal and capable of meeting public needs in the future,” he added.
According to Heru, the optimisation of large-capacity vessel operations is being carried out through intensive coordination with regulators and all related parties as an acceleration step to increase service capacity amidst dynamic operational conditions.
He noted that the congestion and vehicle queues crossing the Bali Strait are due to ongoing capacity upgrade works at Gilimanuk Port’s Pier 2 and the pontoon pier at Ketapang Port, which are being converted into movable bridge (MB) piers with a load capacity of up to 50 tonnes.
“This pier capacity upgrade is part of a long-term effort to strengthen the reliability of ferry infrastructure and support the growing mobility needs of the public,” said Heru.
According to recent observations, traffic on the North Coast (Pantura) highway from Situbondo towards Ketapang Port has experienced long delays over the past week, following an increase in the volume of logistics vehicles and the ongoing pier capacity upgrades on the Ketapang-Gilimanuk crossing.