Insufficient Docks Leave 60% of Ferries Idle on Merak-Bakauheni Route

Around 60% of the ferries on the Merak-Bakauheni route are idle and not operating. The cause is a shortage of docks at the two ports. The number of available ferries on Indonesia’s busiest route currently stands at 72. About 43 of these vessels are not operating during the 2026 Lebaran homecoming and return traffic. “Earlier, I had extensive discussions on why such long queues occur. During those times, not all ferries can operate. It was even stated that out of 72 ferries, only 28 can be operated regularly. This is because we are severely short of docks. We only have seven. Each dock can handle four ferries, meaning more than 60% cannot be operated,” said DPR RI Commission VII member Bambang Haryo Soekartono at Merak Port on Tuesday (31/3/2026). The large number of ferries that cannot operate, according to Bambang, causes congestion during the 2026 Lebaran homecoming and return traffic. Adding docks is seen as a solution to alleviate the congestion at Merak-Bakauheni Port, which repeats every year. “In situations like this, it requires an evaluation from ASDP, shipping companies, and especially regulators from the Directorate General of Land Transportation, Directorate General of Sea Transportation, and the Ministry of Transportation to immediately anticipate the difficulties faced by shipping business owners or companies to operate. For example, if docks are added, one pair of docks can accommodate four ferry units,” he stated. According to him, adding one pair of new docks at Merak-Bakauheni Port, for instance, could operate 8 units out of the 43 idle ferries, or about 35 percent. “So, if two pairs of docks, that would be 8 ferry units; 8 units would certainly increase capacity from 28 ferries by around 35 percent. Thus, if ASDP experiences an annual increase of between 8 and 10 percent on average, by the third or fourth year, it could anticipate surges and the like,” he said.