Fuel Shortages in East Lombok, Queues Stretch for Hours

Fuel supplies in East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), have started to become scarce. This situation has forced drivers to queue for hours, even blocking the main roads. Observations by detikBali on Monday afternoon (4/5/2026) showed several petrol stations in East Lombok appearing deserted without activity. Only signs reading “Sorry, Fuel Out of Stock” were visible. Meanwhile, at the Lenek petrol station, a long queue dominated by two-wheeled vehicles formed. Four-wheeled vehicles also lined up, extending onto the road. Sophia (27) said she had been queuing for almost an hour but had not yet got her turn to refuel due to the lengthy queue. “I’ve been queuing for nearly an hour, but what can we do? We need the fuel, so we’re forced to wait,” she told detikBali on Monday night (4/5). She added that buying fuel from retailers was also difficult. Moreover, the prices offered were higher than at petrol stations. “At retailers, sometimes we buy for Rp 12,000, some sell for 13,000, or even more than that. It’s also quite rare to find sellers at retailers. That’s why it’s better to fill up directly at the petrol station, even if the queue is long,” she continued. Similar complaints were voiced by Samsul Fadli, a public transport driver who was also queuing. He said he had driven around to several petrol stations before finally finding a location with fuel stock. “Luckily, there’s still some here; the other petrol stations are already empty, so I chose this one even though the queue is quite long,” he said, while expressing annoyance. Samsul hopes the government will quickly find a solution to the fuel shortage. He believes this condition is increasingly burdening public transport drivers who depend on fuel to earn a living. “These days, finding passengers is already hard, and now getting fuel is difficult too. I only hope the government quickly finds a solution to this fuel problem,” Samsul remarked.