Long Queues at North Kalimantan Fuel Stations Not Due to Scarcity, Says Pertamina

PT Pertamina Patra Niaga has addressed a viral social media video showing long queues of trucks at several fuel stations in Tanjung Selor, Bulungan Regency, North Kalimantan. The company confirmed that the queues were not due to a scarcity or empty stock of subsidised Bio Solar. Corporate Secretary Roberth M.V. Dumatubun explained that monitoring results indicated the queues occurred mainly at the beginning of the fuel stations’ operational hours. He noted that the high demand was driven by freight transport vehicles, predominantly trucks with East Kalimantan licence plates, which had been experiencing difficulties obtaining Bio Solar in their home region and chose to refuel in Bulungan instead. Roberth assured that the distribution of Bio Solar in the area is proceeding normally, with one station near the queue location still holding 28 kilolitres of stock and a scheduled additional supply of 16 kilolitres arriving on 22 July 2026. He stated that the queues were not caused by distribution delays or stock emptiness. The North Kalimantan Provincial Government will issue a circular to regulate out-of-region vehicles, ensuring they use non-subsidised fuel in accordance with regulations.