Bali–Java Mudik Traffic Rises 33.8 Percent, ASDP Deploys 35 Ferries on Ketapang–Gilimanuk Route
Cross-strait traffic at the Bali–Java crossing continues to increase ahead of the Eid holiday exodus. PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero), working alongside the Police and stakeholders, has implemented various operational measures to expedite vehicle movement towards Gilimanuk Port.
ASDP Chief Executive Heru Widodo stated that operational acceleration measures are being continuously implemented in the field to maintain smooth vehicle flow towards the port.
“We are continuously implementing various operational acceleration measures with stakeholders, ranging from traffic management in the queue lanes to optimising ferry services, so that vehicle traffic continues moving and queues can be rapidly dispersed,” Heru said.
Based on field observations on 16 March 2026 at 14:00 WITA, police enforced a one-way traffic pattern within a radius of approximately 4.5 kilometres to accelerate vehicle movement towards the port. Additionally, smaller vehicles were diverted to the Cargo Buffer Zone to reduce congestion on the main route to Gilimanuk Port.
On the operational front, ASDP implemented a very dense operating pattern by operating 35 ferries on the Ketapang–Gilimanuk crossing. Furthermore, the Arrival–Unloading–Departure (AUD) scheme continues to be applied at terminals MB1, MB4, and LCM. Through this scheme, arriving ferries can immediately unload cargo and promptly return to sea without loading vehicles.
Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi previously emphasised that the government continues to optimise operational measures to relieve vehicle congestion towards Gilimanuk Port through intensive inter-agency coordination.
“The Ministry of Transport continues to ensure that transport services operate safely, smoothly, and in a controlled manner, and promotes the acceleration of operational measures in the field so that vehicle and passenger congestion can be rapidly dispersed,” Dudy said.
He added that the Deputy Transport Minister and the Director-General of Land Transport have been tasked with directly monitoring operational conditions at the port.
Traffic Surge of 33.8 Percent
Data from the Eid Transport Command Centre recorded a significant increase in cross-strait traffic from Bali to Java on the sixth day before Eid. Total passenger numbers reached 80,416, a 33.8 percent increase compared to the same period last year, which reached 60,099 passengers.
Two-wheeled vehicles totalled 18,306 units, a 52.7 percent increase compared to 11,987 units last year. Meanwhile, four-wheeled vehicles reached 5,044 units, an increase of 9.2 percent compared to 4,620 units last year.
Buses totalled 945 units, a 39 percent increase compared to 680 units last year. Conversely, the number of trucks reached 1,590 units, a 13.4 percent decrease compared to 1,835 units in the same period last year.
Overall, the total number of vehicles crossing from Bali to Java on the sixth day before Eid reached 25,885 units, a 35.4 percent increase compared to the same period last year, which recorded 19,122 units.
Based on the latest observation at 14:00 WITA, vehicle queues extended to approximately the 15 km mark, with intermittent congestion as traffic management and vehicle absorption into the port area progressed.
ASDP Ketapang Branch General Manager Arief Eko stressed that the company would continue to increase service capacity and expedite the ferry process so that vehicle queues could be cleared more rapidly.
“ASDP is committed to optimising ferry and terminal operations so that vehicle traffic is absorbed to the maximum. We also urge service users to follow the instructions of field personnel for the sake of smooth operations,” he said.