Horror Traffic Jam in Gilimanuk Causes Death of Traveller, Governor Koster Apologises

Traffic congestion at Gilimanuk Port in Jembrana, Bali, has drawn public attention during the Eid al-Fitr homecoming flow coinciding with the Nyepi holy day celebrations in Bali.

Bali Governor Wayan Koster and the entire Bali Provincial Government apparatus have expressed apologies for the discomfort experienced by the public during their homecoming travels.

Koster stated that, in accordance with their authority, the Bali Provincial Government has optimally implemented anticipatory measures from the outset before the peak homecoming period occurred over the past week. These anticipatory steps, Koster explained, were carried out through coordination meetings with the Bali Regional Police, the Udayana IX Military Regional Command, the Transportation Agency, and all relevant parties (regional leadership coordination forum). Following these meetings, the Bali Regional Police established posts with traffic management officers along the Gilimanuk-Mengwi route.

Subsequently, Koster clarified, the Indonesia Ferry Subsidiary (ASDP) under the Ministry of Transportation of the Republic of Indonesia has increased the number of ferries from Gilimanuk to Ketapang to accommodate the rising number of vehicles from Bali to Ketapang.

“Regarding the long traffic jam towards Gilimanuk Port due to the prolonged queuing for the Gilimanuk to Ketapang crossing, as the Governor of Bali, I apologise for this situation,” Koster said. He also expressed gratitude to various parties for their criticism and suggestions regarding the congestion that has made the public uncomfortable.

“This criticism and advice will be used as material for evaluation for future improvements,” Koster added.

It is known that the homecoming traffic jam on the route to Gilimanuk Port is related to the approach of Nyepi Day of the Saka New Year 1948 on Thursday (19/3), which coincides with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr 1447 Hijriah on 21 and 22 March 2026.

The queuing congestion occurred since Sunday (15/3) and peaked on Wednesday (18/3), the last day of crossings before the port is deactivated for 24 hours during Nyepi.

Vehicle volume was quite high and concentrated in that location. Meanwhile, the Denpasar-Gilimanuk road section experienced no obstacles. The vehicle queuing congestion towards Gilimanuk Port even extended up to 35 kilometres on Tuesday (17/3).

A female homecomer from Central Java, who departed from Denpasar to Central Java, passed away after allegedly succumbing to exhaustion from queuing for hours. She was travelling alone by bus.

Violations against truck operational restrictions worsened the congestion.