ASDP Ketapang Optimises Ferry Fleet to Handle Vehicle Congestion
PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) is optimising port operations and ferry fleets to strengthen the management of vehicle congestion crossing to Bali via Ketapang Port, Banyuwangi, East Java.
Vehicle queues towards Ketapang Port have been observed reaching approximately five kilometres. Consequently, the ASDP Ketapang Branch has taken accelerated service measures, deploying all available resources to smooth the crossing flow and ensure services remain safe and efficient.
In a statement in Banyuwangi on Thursday, the President Director of PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero), Heru Widodo, apologised for the inconvenience experienced by service users due to the congestion occurring over the past few days.
“We understand the high demand for public mobility during the school holiday period, as well as the inconvenience caused by the congestion at Ketapang Port; therefore, we express our apologies to all service users for the current conditions,” he said.
According to Heru, ASDP, alongside regulators and all stakeholders, continues to work hard by deploying all available resources to accelerate the normalisation of services and ensure the Ketapang-Gilimanuk crossing operates optimally.
As part of the acceleration efforts, he continued, ASDP is optimising the operation of all available port facilities and fleets.
He explained that operations at the Moveable Bridge (MB) pier are running normally with the support of 30 ferry vessels, while services at the Bulusan (Ketapang) pier remain normal with the additional support of KMP Portlink VII to increase crossing capacity.
Furthermore, Heru stated that ASDP is also operating one ferry unit at the Landing Craft Machine (LCM) pier using a ‘load-unload-depart’ scheme to accelerate the movement of freight vehicles.
“KMP Prathita is being operated at the pontoon pier to help alleviate the queue of two-wheeled vehicles, which has increased during the school holiday period,” he said.
Information gathered indicates that vehicle congestion at the Ketapang-Gilimanuk crossing began on Sunday (21/6), influenced by a combination of factors. In addition to increased public mobility during the school holidays, crossing operations are also facing challenges from weather conditions in the Bali Strait waters, requiring increased vigilance.
Increased wind speeds and wave heights, particularly at night, have necessitated adjustments to the ship loading and unloading processes to ensure maritime safety standards are maintained.
As vehicle volumes crossing have increased significantly, data from the ASDP Ketapable Branch noted that on Sunday (21/6), the number of vehicles served reached 9,571 units, a 23 per cent increase compared to the previous day’s realisation of 7,769 units.
The highest surge came from private four-wheeled vehicles, which increased by 30 per cent, from 1,681 units to 2,188 units.
This condition was also influenced by operational disruptions to two Long Distance Ferry (LDF) vessels owned by PT ALP, which caused some freight vehicle services to be diverted to regular ferry vessels.