Motorists across Bali are enduring lengthy waits at petrol stations as a fuel shortage grips parts of Denpasar and the southern Badung district, including popular tourist hub Kuta. Queues have stretched beyond station forecourts and onto surrounding streets, with some residents lining up before dawn in a desperate bid to fill their tanks.
Hours-Long Queues as Pertalite Runs Dry
The shortages are centred on Pertalite, a widely used subsidised fuel product, with some locations also reporting dwindling stocks of the premium product Pertamax. At a service station on Jalan Raya Sesetan in Denpasar, motorists were told Pertalite had completely sold out, a situation mirrored at numerous other stations across the city and in Kuta.
Multiple drivers reported visiting several stations in a row only to find shelves empty. One resident described the ordeal his family faced to secure fuel.
"This morning, my wife lined up at 4.30am and waited for two-and-a-half hours before finally being able to refuel. It's crazy," he said.
The scenes have prompted widespread frustration among locals and raised concerns about the reliability of fuel supply chains serving one of Indonesia's most visited regions. Australians travelling to or living in Bali may also be affected, given the island's heavy reliance on motorised transport for daily movement. Those interested in broader fuel security issues closer to home can read about fuel rationing urged as Australia faces looming shortages.
Distribution Disruption Behind the Crisis
Ida Bagus Setiawan, head of Bali's Manpower and Energy and Mineral Resources Agency, confirmed that a distribution disruption was at the root of the shortage. He said authorities had been working with state fuel supplier Pertamina and local distributors to address the problem.
"Technically, we have been informed that there has been a diversion involving the Pesanggaran depot and Manggis Transit Terminal. It is currently being restored gradually," Setiawan said.
He added that officials were still waiting for fuller details on the precise cause of the disruption and the extent of its impact on overall fuel availability across the island.
Not the First Time: August Disruptions a Recent Precedent
This is not an isolated event. Bali experienced comparable supply problems in late August, when long queues at service stations signalled similar breakdowns in the fuel distribution network. The recurrence raises questions about the resilience of supply infrastructure servicing the island.
Gradual Restoration Under Way, but Patchy Supply Continues
Authorities say the situation is being progressively restored, but availability remains inconsistent from one location to the next. Motorists are being advised they may still need to queue, and conditions are expected to vary across different parts of the island until normal supply is fully re-established.
Bali's fuel supply challenges reflect a wider tension between growing demand and distribution capacity, an issue familiar to energy-dependent economies across the region. For background context, information on regional energy infrastructure is available via fuel crisis warnings raising new risks for Australia.
