Fuel shortages have hit Bali, resulting in long queues of vehicles at numerous petrol stations, with some motorists reporting waits of up to an hour just to refuel.
One such queue formed on Monday, the 12th of October, at the petrol station in Kapal Village, Mengwi District, where a line of vehicles was seen inching along the main Denpasar–Gilimanuk highway.
Long queues also formed at petrol stations in Werdi Bhuwana, Sangeh, Lukluk, as well as at the station in the densely populated Dalung Permai residential area. A surge in demand for fuel was also reported across southern Badung. Reports from these locations indicate that petrol stations in the Kuta and South Kuta districts were also swamped by motorists, resulting in long queues that disrupted local traffic.
Some motorists reported waiting for more than an hour to refuel. One driver who joined the queue at 6.30 PM local time did not reach the pump until 7.50 PM.
“The wait was long because I was told to reverse as soon as I entered the station. It turned out that there was already a queue. I had driven around Dalung, but it was crowded there too, so I came here,” Gede Ari, a resident of Tabanan who was refuelling at the Kapal station, said.
Meanwhile, on the following Tuesday (the 13th of October), fuel shortages were also reported in Klungkung Regency, Bali. Stocks of Pertalite had run out, forcing motorists to queue for Pertamax instead. Several local residents have reported that they had arrived as early as 7.00 AM local time to secure the scarce fuel.
“It’s been empty since yesterday. Fuel is scarce. We have to wait in long queues like this just to buy Pertamax,” Budiarta, a local resident who was queuing, said as well.
In response to the situation, PT Pertamina Patra Niaga is increasing fuel supplies to Bali through phased deliveries totalling more than 26,000 kilolitres of fuel, including Pertalite and Pertamax.
Ahad Rahedi, the Area Manager for Communication, Relations & CSR at Pertamina Patra Niaga’s Jatimbalinus Region, stated that the company had scheduled the arrival of fuel tankers for the 12th, 14th, and 16th of October at the Sanggaran and Manggis fuel terminals. Of these shipments, 18,000 kilolitres consist of Pertalite and 2,500 kilolitres of Pertamax.
Rahedi also noted that the company was continuously monitoring fuel stock levels and consumption on the ground to determine distribution priorities.
“With the arrival of the fuel tankers, we are strengthening supplies of Pertalite and Pertamax to meet the needs of the Balinese people. We continue to optimise distribution to petrol stations, taking into account stock levels and consumption rates in each area,” he explained.