Bali Fuel Delivery Delays Trigger Panic Buying and Hours-Long Queues

Long queues formed at petrol stations on Indonesia's resort island of Bali on Wednesday, 14 October, as disrupted fuel deliveries forced motorcyclists and drivers to wait for hours. The situation matters because Bali is a major tourist destination, and officials and the state energy company say the problem lies in logistics rather than a shortage of fuel.

Queues of motorcycles and cars spilled onto roads in various parts of the island. One resident of Denpasar, Bali's main city, said she had waited around seven hours in the heat to buy petrol.

Causes of the delays

Officials blamed distribution delays rather than depleted stocks across the island. Pertamina, Indonesia's state-owned energy company, said a problem with a tanker's anchor had delayed unloading, while road congestion slowed deliveries to stations. Panic buying added to the pressure, particularly for Pertalite, the cheaper, subsidised petrol.

Official response

Bali Governor Wayan Koster urged residents not to panic, saying fuel was still available at storage depots. Pertamina said on Wednesday that an additional 57.9 million litres of petrol were scheduled to arrive in Bali between 14 and 17 October. Deliveries have been stepped up around the clock, and 60 stations in Denpasar are operating 24 hours a day. Despite the extra supplies, queues persisted.