Bali Fuel Shortage Triggers Long Queues and Forces Travelers to Cancel Plans
Explore how a severe fuel shortage in Bali caused kilometer-long queues at gas stations, disrupting vacations and prompting official reassurances.
POLICY WIRE — Denpasar, Indonesia — Long lines stretching up to a kilometer formed across Bali amid a sudden petrol shortage that disrupted travel plans for numerous residents and visitors.
Moldovan tourist Raisa Neagu spent hours on Wednesday, Oct 14, waiting to fuel up her scooter after being caught in the supply crunch.
The 43-year-old traveler explained that they were left stranded without petrol and forced to abandon their itinerary.
Neagu noted she is scheduled to fly back on the 21st of October and now remains uncertain how to salvage the remainder of her vacation in the north of Bali.
Authorities have urged the public to remain calm while maintaining that sufficient fuel reserves exist on the island, which relies on shipments for its gasoline and diesel needs.
Simon Aloysius Mantiri, president director of state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina, apologized on Tuesday and attributed the disruption to distribution delays after a tanker experienced trouble discharging its cargo.
Governor I Wayan Koster announced that a tanker carrying more than 22 million liters of fuel arrived in Bali on Tuesday to cover demand for up to the next seven days.
Wayan reassured the public that fuel remains available and confirmed that additional shipments are scheduled to arrive throughout the week.
To ease severe congestion, fuel stations in high-tourism zones like Denpasar and Badung will operate 24 hours a day, alongside round-the-clock depot deliveries.
Hotel worker Ni Wayan Susiani, 22, expressed frustration after enduring a five-hour wait to purchase fuel for her motorbike.
She voiced hope that normal operations would resume swiftly in the coming days.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
