Gapasdap: Ketapang Queues Caused by Insufficient Port Capacity, Not Ship Shortage

The Indonesian National Association of River, Lake and Ferry Transport Operators (Gapasdap) has stated that the main cause of long queues at Ketapang Port in Banyuwangi, East Java, is not a shortage of ships but rather port infrastructure capacity that has not kept pace with the growth in vehicle numbers. Gapasdap Chairman Khoiri Soetomo expressed concern over the increasing density of vehicle flow on the Ketapang-Gilimanuk crossing in recent days during the school holiday period. “This issue cannot be viewed merely as a seasonal problem that only arises during Eid or long holidays; it has become a structural problem requiring a swift and permanent solution,” he said in a statement in Banyuwangi on Saturday. Khoiri revealed that for years, whenever vehicle queues occurred on the Bali Strait crossing, the solution always proposed was adding more ships, bringing in larger vessels, operating faster ships, or asking operators to increase fleet investment. He noted that ferry operators have indeed met these demands, and investment in vessels has continued, resulting in a fleet that is more modern, larger, safer, and more numerous. However, port infrastructure development has not progressed at the same pace. He mentioned that currently around 56 ships are ready to serve the Ketapang-Gilimanuk route, but the capacity and number of berths remain limiting factors, forcing many ships to wait their turn to dock and operate. “As a result, ship waiting times increase, fleet productivity declines, and vehicle queues on land grow longer,” Khoiri said. According to Khoiri, this most strategic crossing connecting Java and Bali, which serves as a logistics distribution gateway to Nusa Tenggara, still faces basic infrastructure limitations. He said some of the docks still in use are LCM-type docks, which are no longer ideal for serving modern passenger motor vessels. The Gapasdap Chairman expressed appreciation to the East Java Provincial Government, which has shown genuine concern for the development of ferry ports. The LCM dock standing on land owned by the Banyuwangi Regency Government was built with support from the East Java Provincial Government, as was the MB IV Dock. Meanwhile, the MB III Dock and Bulusan Dock, located on land owned by ASDP, were also built with support from the East Java Provincial Government. At the Bulusan Dock, he noted, there were also local government plans for expansion and the construction of a connecting bridge between Bulusan Dock and the LCM and MB IV docks, which would allow logistics vehicles to avoid entering and exiting on the national road, thereby preventing congestion outside the port area. “But currently, Bulusan Dock can no longer be used as an additional dock because two of its mooring dolphins are damaged and one is in poor condition, making it unsafe for ships to berth,” Khoiri said. Khoiri admitted he has repeatedly sent letters, studies, and proposals to the Ministry of Transportation urging the construction of new docks, rehabilitation of damaged facilities, construction of a breakwater, expansion of the port basin, and an immediate increase in port capacity. He argued that infrastructure development cannot be carried out just a few days before the homecoming flow; it requires planning, budgeting, and execution that must begin long before the need becomes a crisis. “We hope the Indonesian House of Representatives will pay greater attention to the development of ferry ports as part of national strategic infrastructure,” Khoiri said. “We also appeal for the attention of the President of the Republic of Indonesia to kindly lead the acceleration of ferry port infrastructure development, so that national policy no longer focuses solely on adding fleet numbers but also on building infrastructure,” he added. On a separate occasion, PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) Deputy CEO Yossianis Marciano revealed that in 2026, ASDP will seek to improve facilities and infrastructure, including adding docks on both the Ketapang and Gilimanuk port sides.