Homebound Travellers Prioritised, Small Vehicles Expedited at Gilimanuk Port
The Bali Regional Police have prioritised small vehicles in traffic management arrangements for homebound travellers heading towards Gilimanuk Port. This policy has been implemented to accelerate the movement of holidaymakers amid vehicle queues stretching up to 9 kilometres.
Heavy traffic congestion occurred on the afternoon of 17 March 2026. Vehicle queues from the Denpasar direction extended to Klatakan Village, Melaya District. Meanwhile, traffic from the Singaraja direction showed no queuing.
“In efforts to ease congestion, our officers in the field are regulating traffic by prioritising small vehicles or private vehicles to enter the port area more quickly,” said Ariasandy, Head of Public Relations for the Bali Regional Police, on Tuesday (17 March 2026).
Small vehicles are directed directly towards the main thoroughfare and into the parking area near the Landing Craft Machine (LCM) at Gilimanuk. Conversely, larger vehicles such as trucks, particularly three-axle vehicles, are held at several staging points, including Gilimanuk Cargo Terminal, Cekik Toll Bridge, Bus Terminal, and the Water Bee parking area.
This staging is carried out to reduce congestion on the main route whilst maintaining smooth traffic flow for homebound travellers.
Port Congestion
Within the port, conditions are also reported as crowded. All parking areas at the Movable Bridge (MB) I to MB IV wharves, including the LCM and manoeuvring terminal, are reported to be completely full and dominated by private vehicles.
A total of 35 ferries were deployed to service crossings until the evening. However, some ferries are operating under the arrival, discharge, departure (ADD) pattern due to vehicle accumulation at Ketapang Port.
Ariasandy stated that authorities continue to regulate traffic and enforce rules in the field. “Officers in the field continue to regulate and enforce rules, including against three-axle vehicles still in transit. These will temporarily be moved to the side,” he said.
He also appealed to the public, particularly transport operators, to comply with operational restrictions during the homebound travel period.
The priority measure for small vehicles is expected to accelerate the movement of homebound travellers whilst reducing congestion on the route to the port.
Meanwhile, weather conditions in the Bali Strait are reported as clear with wind speeds of 8.2 knots and wave heights of approximately 1.2 metres. Ferry operations are proceeding normally.