Economy

The BBM crisis of the fifth day: Antrean 4 km, Eceran Rp45 thousand…

Stateline MEDIA Newsroom•October 17, 2026•3 min read

The fuel (BBM) crisis entered its fifth day in Bali with a motorcycle ride of 4 km and a car drive of 3.5 km in Denpasar. In Manado, the drive reached 1 km and retailers sold Pertalite up to Rp45 thousand per bottle, hitting the driver and car driver.

Key Facts

The BBM crisis in Bali has entered its fifth day: motorcycle rails spread up to 4 kilometers and cars 3.5 kilometers in Denpasar.
In Manado, the vehicle carriage reached 1 km; Firstx is empty in a number of SPBUs and retailers sell Pertalite Rp35,000-Rp45.000 per bottle.
Drivers online and transport drivers are the most hit party because of the hours of work.
The first said the 3,000-kiloliter ship Pertalite arrived on 13 October and an additional 5,000-kiloliter was scheduled for 16 October 2026.
A number of SPBUs in Bali were operated 24 hours and Polda Bali arrested 7 suspects of BBM subsidy abuse.
The cause of the shortage is said to be due to bad weather and a delay in the backup of the BBM carrier ship in the depot.

The fifth day, the Antrean has not broken down.

The fuel shortage (BBM) in Bali entered the fifth day without signs of reduction. In the city of Denpasar, motorcycle traffic was monitored up to 4 kilometers, while car traffic reached about 3.5 kilometers.

A number of volunteers entered from night to morning in order to get fuel. Not uncommon, the stock in the gas station (SPBU) is exhausted just when their turn arrives. This condition interrupts the daily activities of citizens, from working mobility to public transport operations.

The shortage is triggered by bad weather and delay in the shelter time of the BBM carrier ship at the deposit facility. The situation is worsened by public panic buying actions that make the shelter stretch in Denpasar, Badung, and the surrounding area.

Manado: Eceran exceeds Rp45 thousand

A similar crisis struck the city of Manado, North Sulawesi. Vehicles in a number of SPBUs infected up to 1 km and triggered congestion. Firstx supplies were empty in some SPBUs.

The condition is strange because retailers take advantage of the situation by selling BBM subsidies or non-subsidies for Rp35.000 to Rp45.000 per bottle. At some points, Pertalite retail sold Rp20.000-Rp35.000 per liter, while Firstx retail reached Rp22.000 per liter.

A driver in Manado admitted that his opinion was blatant because the time spent searching for passengers had been stuck in the train since dawn.

In response to the situation in Manado, the Sales Branch Manager of the SulutGo region called distribution delays the main cause. The 3,000-kiloliter Pertalite carrier has arrived on October 13, with an additional 5,000-kiloliter scheduled to arrive on October 16, 2026.

First Response and Response

First Patra Niaga claims to continue to optimize BBM distribution in Bali through the strengthening of the tank car fleet, cross-regional personnel support, 24-hour terminal operation, as well as the optimization of ship supply.

On the side of law enforcement, Polda Bali arrested seven perpetrators suspected of BBM subsidy misappropriation. The perpetrators were suspected of selling Pertalite subsidy at a price of up to Rp100,000 per bottle in the middle of a shortage.

Although the Prime Minister and the ESDM Ministry have repeatedly stated that national stocks are safe with 16-21 days of availability, the conditions on the field indicate that the issue of distribution has not been fully solved.