Police Assert Gilimanuk Congestion Due to Ferry Queue, Not Traffic Management Failure

JAKARTA — Indonesia’s National Police Traffic Enforcement Division (Korlantas Polri) has stated that congestion during the Lebaran 2026 homecoming exodus at Gilimanuk Port, Jembrana Regency, Bali, is not caused by inadequate traffic management or engineering.

Director of Law Enforcement at Korlantas Polri Brigadier General Faizal said that queuing occurs because vehicles are waiting their turn to board the ferry.

“They are queuing to board the ferry. It is not congestion due to a lack of traffic management or engineering,” Faizal said when contacted by Kompas.com on Monday (16 March 2026).

Bali Police Public Relations Head Senior Commissioner Aria Sandy reported that by Monday (16 March 2026) at 10:30 WIT, vehicle queues still stretched approximately 27 kilometres from the direction of Tabanan.

He noted that queue lengths in both directions remain fluid because vehicles continue to be transported by ferry, whilst the number of arriving vehicles also continues to increase.

To address the situation, police have deployed personnel at key junction points and conducted patrols to ensure orderly queuing.

“Patrols ensure orderly queuing and awaken drivers sleeping in queued vehicles so they can move forward,” he said.

It was previously reported that the Lebaran 2026 exodus at Gilimanuk Port, Jembrana Regency, Bali, was marked by vehicle queues stretching approximately 31 kilometres on Sunday (15 March 2026).

Sixteen people were reportedly fainting due to hot weather and exhaustion from waiting.

Long vehicle queues heading to Gilimanuk Port were even reported to have reached Negara District areas.

Vehicles stuck in the queues were predominantly comprised of logistics vehicles, private vehicles, and motorcycles crossing from Bali to Ketapang Port, Banyuwangi, East Java.

Parking areas within Gilimanuk Port were reported full since Sunday afternoon.

This situation forced vehicles to queue far outside the port area.