Vehicle Queue 16 Kilometres Long to Gilimanuk, Travellers Stranded for 22 Hours
A queue of vehicles stretching from eastern Denpasar towards Gilimanuk Port in Jembrana, Bali, extended for 16 kilometres on Monday, 16 March 2026, leaving homebound travellers stranded for up to 22 hours.
The conditions forced travellers to endure extraordinary hardship. One such traveller was Dodi, 54, from Jembrana, who was heading to West Java. He reported being trapped in congestion for dozens of hours before finally reaching the port area.
“The traffic is dreadfully bad—I’ve never seen it this severe. I departed on Sunday at 09:00 Wita and only managed to enter the port area on Monday at 07:00 Wita,” Dodi told detikBali on Monday.
Dodi, travelling with his family, expressed sympathy for his grandson, who was exhausted from spending so much time in the vehicle. “My grandson is exhausted in the car. Everything—eating and sleeping—happens inside the vehicle,” he added.
Beyond the lengthy queue duration, the shortage of sanitation facilities along the entire travel route became the primary complaint, particularly as vehicles passed through the Hutan Cekik forest area.
Another traveller, Anna, recounted her experience departing from Kota Negara on Monday at 00:30 Wita. By 13:00 Wita, she had not yet entered the port area and remained stuck in traffic diversions through residential areas.
“I entered Hutan Cekik at 07:00 Wita, and by 13:00 Wita I had only reached residential streets. I haven’t even entered the port yet,” Anna complained.
As a female traveller, Anna faced particular difficulties due to the complete absence of toilet facilities in the forest area. “I struggled greatly to find toilet access, especially before reaching Gilimanuk. There are no toilets whatsoever in the forest. As a woman, it is extremely uncomfortable to have to hold on,” she said.
Andre faced similar circumstances, finding himself in an exasperating situation whilst stranded in traffic in the middle of the forest. With no public facilities available, Andre was forced to use the forest area for his toilet needs.
At the time of writing, vehicle volumes remained heavy and crawling along the route. Police officers continued to implement traffic management measures by directing smaller vehicles into residential streets in the Gilimanuk area to alleviate congestion on the main road.
The problem was compounded by tourist buses occupying the right lane to overtake the queue, blocking vehicles coming from the opposite direction. This situation forced officers, assisted by travellers, to manually manage traffic.
“Moreover, when trucks break down in the middle of the travel stream, it worsens the queue. We have to help push the trucks to the side so traffic can resume normal flow,” Andre noted.