DENPASAR, BALINEWS — The Denpasar City Education, Youth and Sports Agency has ordered all public and private schools in the city to switch to distance learning from October 15 to 17, 2026, in response to the ongoing fuel shortage in Bali.
The policy is intended to reduce the impact of fuel supply disruptions on the mobility of teachers, education personnel, and students while ensuring that learning activities continue during the three-day period.
The decision is stipulated in Circular Letter No. B/100.3.4/99/DISDIKPORA, dated Wednesday, October 14, 2026, and signed by Denpasar City Education, Youth and Sports Agency Head Anak Agung Gede Wiratama.
According to the circular, online learning is being implemented as a precautionary measure against the fuel shortage, which has disrupted transportation and daily activities across the region.
The shortage has affected several areas of Bali, particularly Denpasar, Badung, and Tabanan, over the past three days. Long queues at fuel stations have caused traffic congestion and disrupted residents’ daily routines.
Observations at around 5 a.m. local time on Wednesday showed vehicle queues stretching hundreds of meters at several fuel stations, including those in Gatot Subroto Tengah, Ubung, Jalan Ahmad Yani Utara, Gatot Subroto Timur, and Tohpati.
Meanwhile, PT Pertamina (Persero) President Director Simon Aloysius Mantiri previously apologized to residents of Bali for the lengthy queues at fuel stations over the past several days.
Simon explained that one of the factors contributing to the delayed fuel supply was a problem involving a vessel during cargo unloading operations. As a result, an operation originally scheduled for approximately 6:30 a.m. was delayed until around 10 p.m. local time.
“Without seeking to justify what happened, we extend our deepest apologies to the people of Bali for these queues. Ultimately, what matters most is providing services to the public,” Simon said on Tuesday, October 13.
To accelerate the recovery of fuel supplies, Pertamina plans to deploy additional fuel tanker trucks, speed up distribution, and strengthen staffing at fuel stations.
These measures will be coordinated with the Indonesian Association of Oil and Gas Entrepreneurs (Hiswana Migas), including efforts to prevent worker fatigue caused by round-the-clock operations.
Simon also said Pertamina could coordinate with the Indonesian National Police and the Indonesian Military if emergency assistance were needed, subject to operational requirements and applicable regulations.
In addition, fuel station operators will be instructed to provide the public with information about fuel availability and operating hours. The measure is intended to discourage unnecessary queues caused by concerns over fuel shortages.
The temporary shift to online learning in Denpasar is one of the measures being taken to minimize the impact of the fuel shortage on public activities, particularly in the education sector, while efforts to restore normal fuel distribution continue.
