Minister Prepares Solutions to Ease Congestion at Ketapang-Gilimanuk Crossing

Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi has prepared a number of solutions to ease congestion at the Ketapang-Gilimanuk ferry crossing, including the addition and optimisation of docks and the operation of larger vessels. “We discussed how to optimise and solve the problems related to the crossing from Ketapang to Gilimanuk. Several alternative solutions have been prepared and we discussed them earlier,” Dudy said after a meeting with East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa at Grahadi State Building in Surabaya on Wednesday.

According to Dudy, the government is preparing several steps to increase the service capacity of the crossing, particularly to handle vehicle surges during long holiday periods such as Christmas and New Year, as well as Eid. The solutions discussed include the construction and optimisation of docks, increasing the capacity of existing docks, and operating large-capacity ships. “We discussed how to build docks, then optimise existing docks, the use of large ships to serve the route, and also the optimisation of existing ports such as Jangkar Port in Situbondo, as well as Tanjungwangi and Ketapang itself,” he said.

In addition to measures in East Java, the Ministry of Transportation is also preparing alternatives in Bali by utilising Celukan Bawang Port in North Bali to reduce the burden on the Gilimanuk crossing. Dudy noted that the capacity increase needs to be realised immediately because traffic congestion now occurs not only during holiday seasons but also on regular days. The Ministry has also requested that state-owned ferry operator PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry replace smaller vessels with larger ones at Ketapang Port to accommodate more passengers and vehicles.

Meanwhile, East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa described the meeting as highly productive, noting that it was rare to have such an extended discussion with the full team from the Ministry. She stated that many strategic programmes were discussed to strengthen transportation connectivity.