Thousands of Travellers Queue for Seven Hours Without Boarding Vessel at Padangbai
Thousands of holiday travellers intending to cross to Lembar Port, Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, crowded Padangbai Port in Karangasem on Sunday, 15 March 2026. Numerous travellers had queued for hours but were still unable to board vessels.
An observation by detikBali on Sunday afternoon revealed considerable numbers of travellers queuing within the port awaiting ferries. Motorcycles dominated the traffic mix.
Ardi Pratama, a traveller from Central Lombok, reported having queued since 03:00 local time. However, by 10:30 local time he had still not secured passage. Ardi, travelling with his wife and child, deliberately left early to spend more time with family.
“I’ve been queuing since early morning, but still haven’t got my turn. The hot weather combined with fasting is making it difficult,” said Ardi on Sunday.
Another traveller, Sahnan, also reported being stranded at the port for hours. He indicated that port staff had informed him he would likely board a vessel in the afternoon.
“I deliberately left early thinking there wouldn’t be a queue, but there is one. I might not even get an afternoon sailing,” said Sahnan.
Meanwhile, I Ketut Sugiartono, head of the Service Unit at the Land Transport Management Office (BPTD) of Padangbai Port, stated that passenger numbers had risen significantly since Friday, 13 March 2026, though the increase remained within normal parameters and had not yet become overwhelming.
“The increase is quite significant among pedestrians, motorcyclists and vehicle drivers,” said Sugiartono.
For pedestrians, numbers have risen from an average of 2,000 per day to between 4,000 and 7,000 per day. Motorcycles have increased from an average of 700 units daily to 2,000 units daily. Vehicles have risen from approximately 68 units daily to 200 units daily.
“We will continue to coordinate whilst observing conditions in the field. Should passenger congestion become extremely significant, we will certainly take action,” said Sugiartono.