For Christmas and New Year, Indonesia's Ministry of Transportation plans to run ferries from East Java to the port of Celukan Bawang, a 40-minute drive from Lovina.
The aim is to ease the pressure on the main crossing to the island. The crossing of the Bali Strait itself, from Ketapang to Gilimanuk, takes less than an hour, but on peak days the queue for the ferry stretches for tens of kilometres.
In March, ahead of Nyepi and Lebaran, the tail of the queue to Gilimanuk extended more than 30 kilometres from the port, and some people took 14–15 hours to reach the pier. In the autumn, while the piers at both ports are being expanded, the queue of trucks to Ketapang stretched for more than ten kilometres.
The ferries to Celukan Bawang are planned to depart from two ports: Jangkar in Situbondo and Tanjung Wangi in Banyuwangi. The plan is to carry cars and trucks up to seven metres long. The route is not suitable for large lorries: the road to the port is narrow, steep and winding.
The services to Celukan Bawang are needed only for the holidays, until the piers at the main crossing have been expanded. In addition, a new section of toll road has opened in eastern Java, and more vehicles than usual are expected at the crossing.
Since September, Celukan Bawang has been preparing a third berth: steel plates are being laid so vehicles can drive onto the ferry, lighting is being installed, and the access road has already been widened.
The schedule, vessels, fares and date of the first sailing have not yet been announced. The final list of holiday crossings will be set out in a joint decree by the government agencies, which is still being drafted.
Departures across Indonesia are expected to peak on 23 December, and the return flow on 3 January.
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