DENPASAR, BALINEWS — Bali’s fuel shortage entered its third day on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, with long queues continuing to form at several fuel stations across Denpasar. In response to worsening traffic congestion and ongoing distribution delays, Indonesian House of Representatives member I Nyoman Parta has proposed temporary work-from-home (WFH) arrangements and online learning to reduce public mobility.
Observations at around 5 a.m. local time on Wednesday showed vehicles queuing for fuel at several locations, including Gatot Subroto Tengah, Ubung, Jalan Ahmad Yani Utara, Gatot Subroto Timur, and Tohpati. In some areas, queues extended for hundreds of meters, disrupting traffic and residents’ daily activities.
Severe congestion was also reported on Tuesday evening, October 13, at around 9 p.m. at the intersection of Jalan Marlboro and Jalan Teuku Umar Barat in Denpasar. Queues of motorcycles and cars at two nearby fuel stations further obstructed traffic.
Responding to the situation, Parta, a member of Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), urged local governments to take concrete measures to ease congestion while fuel distribution remains disrupted.
He proposed that the Bali provincial government, regency and municipal administrations, central government agencies, and relevant institutions consider implementing WFH arrangements for civil servants for several days. He also encouraged universities and schools to temporarily switch to online learning.
“This would help reduce traffic congestion and allow fuel distribution from the Manggis and Sanggaran depots to move more quickly,” Parta said in Denpasar on Tuesday, October 13.
In addition to reducing public mobility, Parta called on the Bali Regional Police to escort fuel deliveries from the depots to fuel stations. He said police escorts could help accelerate deliveries and ease congestion caused by long queues of vehicles.
Meanwhile, PT Pertamina (Persero) President Director Simon Aloysius Mantiri apologized to residents of Bali for the lengthy queues at fuel stations over the past several days.
“On behalf of PT Pertamina (Persero), as its president director, I would like to extend my deepest apologies, especially to the people of Bali, for the long queues we have experienced together over the past few days, particularly at fuel stations across the island,” Simon said.
Simon stated that Pertamina was continuing to work to improve energy distribution and restore normal service to the public. He explained that one of the factors behind the delayed fuel supply was a problem involving a ship’s anchor during cargo unloading operations.
The incident reportedly delayed the scheduled operation from approximately 6:30 a.m. to around 10 p.m. local time.
“Once again, this incident is not something we should use to justify our shortcomings. What matters most is providing service to the public. Therefore, I would like to apologize once again,” Simon said.
As of Wednesday morning, long queues remained a concern at several fuel stations in Denpasar. Accelerating fuel distribution and managing public mobility have become key priorities in efforts to ease congestion and restore normal daily activities across Bali.
