Fuel Price Hike Rumours Lead to Long Queues at Petrol Stations in Kupang City

Vehicles queued up to refuel at several petrol stations (SPBU) in Kupang City, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), stretching for long distances. Observations showed that the queues had been ongoing since Tuesday (31/3) and continued until 20:45 WITA. Queues were visible at stations located on Jalan Jenderal Soeharto and Jalan HR Koroh. At these two SPBU, many vehicles were still lining up to fill up with fuel. The vehicles extended all the way to the entrance of the SPBU, but traffic flow remained smooth. “I’m filling up my vehicle’s tank fully because I’m afraid fuel prices will rise tomorrow,” said Rini, a resident fuelling up at the SPBU on Jalan HR Koroh in Sikumana Ward. “Earlier, there was a jam at the SPBU because large trucks were queuing to buy diesel, and small vehicles were also trying to enter the SPBU area,” she added. However, from observations, the fuelling process proceeded smoothly. “Service is quick because all pumps are operating, and there are many operators,” she said. Meanwhile, since Tuesday afternoon, social media posts have circulated claiming that fuel prices will increase starting 1 April 2026. The posts stated that Pertalite would rise to Rp14,000 per litre from the current Rp10,000 per litre, Biosolar would increase from Rp6,800 per litre to Rp9,500 per litre, and Pertamax would go up to Rp16,500 per litre from Rp13,000 per litre.