Bali Fuel Delays Trigger Panic Buying and Long Queues

Fuel distribution delays in Bali triggered panic buying and long queues at petrol stations, with lines of motorcycles and cars spilling onto roads across the Indonesian resort island. One Denpasar resident said she spent about seven hours waiting in the heat to buy petrol. Officials said the queues reflected delivery problems rather than a depletion of fuel stocks across Bali. Pertamina, Indonesia’s state-owned energy company, attributed a delay to a tanker experiencing an anchor problem that held up unloading. Road congestion then slowed the movement of fuel to stations, while panic buying—especially of cheaper, subsidised Pertalite petrol—put additional pressure on supplies and distribution. Bali Governor Wayan Koster urged residents not to panic, saying fuel remained available at storage depots. Pertamina announced that an additional 57.9 million litres of petrol were scheduled to arrive on the island between 14 and 17 October. The company also said deliveries had been increased around the clock, and 60 stations in Denpasar were operating 24 hours a day. Despite these measures and the planned additional supplies, queues continued. The report therefore describes a mismatch between available or incoming fuel stocks and the speed at which fuel could be unloaded, transported and dispensed, compounded by residents’ rush to buy. It presents the episode as a distribution disruption that prompted public concern and inconvenienced motorists, while officials and the energy company sought to reassure residents and increase deliveries.

Fuel-delivery disruptions caused long queues at petrol stations across Indonesia’s resort island of Bali on Wednesday, 14 October. Motorcycles and cars lined roads as motorists waited for hours; one Denpasar resident said she spent about seven hours waiting in the heat to buy petrol. The delays prompted panic buying, especially of Pertalite, a cheaper subsidised fuel, worsening pressure at stations. Officials said the island was experiencing distribution delays, not an island-wide depletion of fuel stocks. State-owned energy company Pertamina attributed the disruption in part to a tanker’s anchor problem, which delayed unloading. Road congestion also slowed the movement of fuel to petrol stations. Bali Governor Wayan Koster urged residents not to panic and said fuel remained available at storage depots. Pertamina announced that an additional 57.9 million litres of petrol were scheduled to arrive in Bali between 14 and 17 October. The company said deliveries were being increased around the clock, and 60 stations in Denpasar were operating 24 hours a day. Despite these measures and the planned additional supplies, queues persisted.

Bali is experiencing a fuel shortage that has led to long queues at petrol stations in Denpasar and southern Badung. Viral social-media footage shows thousands of motorists waiting in lines stretching for kilometres, with some reportedly sleeping beside the road to keep their place. Other drivers have run out of fuel and had to push their vehicles. Although petrol is reported to cost as little as 90 Australian cents per litre, Pertalite and, at some locations, Pertamax have become difficult to obtain. Disruptions reportedly began on October 12 in Denpasar, Badung and near I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, contributing to traffic congestion on Tuban Road. Pertamina President Director Simon Aloysius Mantiri apologised and attributed one disruption to a technical problem involving a fuel tanker’s anchor, which delayed berthing and unloading until about 10 p.m. that day. Fuel tankers are scheduled to arrive every other day during the week to replenish petrol and diesel supplies. Pertamina says it has accelerated deliveries and extended hours at selected stations. Stations in Denpasar and Badung have been instructed to operate around the clock, with similar arrangements planned for Tabanan and Gianyar. The company has also asked station operators to communicate fuel availability and opening hours more clearly as distribution recovers. Travel bloggers have used Instagram to share updates, warning that some stations may temporarily run out of particular fuel types and that drivers should expect longer waits. One blogger urged people not to panic-buy, saying the shortage does not mean travellers need to cancel Bali plans. Visitors are advised to allow extra time and arrange airport or other transfers in advance, since drivers may need to refuel.