Ships Struggle to Dock Due to Low Tide, Causing Long Queues at Gilimanuk
Vehicle queues heading towards Gilimanuk Port, Bali, continued into Wednesday (16/09/2026) afternoon. This congestion is being exacerbated by the phenomenon of low tides, which makes it difficult for ships to berth, alongside ongoing pier revitalisation projects.
According to data obtained on Wednesday (16/09/2026) at 17:30 WITA, the tail of the vehicle queue on the main Denpasar-Gilimanuk route has stretched approximately 1.9 kilometres from the port area. Meanwhile, on the Gang 1 route, the queue extends back to the Gilimanuk Mosque, roughly 1.1 kilometres from the port.
To alleviate the congestion, 26 vessels have been deployed with an operational pattern of 8 trips. Specifically, 14 ships are operating at the Movable Bridge (MB) Pier, 8 ships at the Landing Craft Machine (LCM) Pier, and 4 additional support vessels are in use.
The Chief of the Gilimanuk Port Area Police, AKP Gusti Kade Alit Murdiasa, explained that the surge in vehicle queues typically begins towards the evening and only clears by the following morning. Furthermore, these queues are dominated by logistics vehicles and large trucks.
“The later it gets, the longer the queue will certainly become. However, the queue will definitely disperse in the morning,” Murdiasa stated when confirmed on Wednesday (16/09/2026).
Murdiasa added that the primary trigger for this vehicle accumulation is the revitalisation project of the MB 2 Pier, aimed at increasing port capacity.
On the other hand, the Public Relations Manager of PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) Ketapang Branch, Bintang Felfian, noted that weather conditions also play a major role in the delays to the loading and unloading process. The low tide makes it difficult for vessel fleets to berth, particularly at the LCM Pier.
“It is true; in recent days, the tide has been quite low, making it difficult for ships to dock,” said Bintang.
ASDP has urged all ferry users to remain orderly, vigilant, and patient while in the Gilimanuk crossing queue area.
“We advise service users to ensure they have prepared their ferry tickets before entering the port area,” Bintang concluded.