Truck Driver Blocking The Road At The Port Of Ketapang Banyuwangi, Residents From Lamongan Stuck In Traffic For 5 Hours

Truck driver demo at Ketapang Harbor Banyuwangi/Reza M/VOI

BANYUWANGI - A demonstration by truck drivers who blocked the road in front of Ketapang Harbor, Banyuwangi, East Java, caused a long traffic jam. There was one family stuck in traffic for 5 hours.

Ali Mustofa (50) said he had been stuck in traffic since 12.00 WIB due to a truck driver demonstration. Together with his family, Ali Mustofa will cross to Bali for a vacation after visiting his son who is at one of the Islamic boarding schools in Muncar Banyuwangi.

"Yesterday we left Lamongan, last night we stayed in Muncar. Then in the afternoon we went to Bali," said Ali Mustofa, Monday, January 3.

Ali Mustofa headed to Bali using a private car with his wife, Liswatin (46) and their child, Nuraliyanti Fitri (24). Before being trapped in the line of demonstrators' trucks, Ali Mustofa and his family had undergone a rapid antigen test.

"The parking attendants were directed to follow the ring road, then we have been stuck here since 12.00 WIB," said Ali Mustofa.

For more than five hours the three of them waited in the car with the door wide open so it wouldn't overheat. Liswatin and Fitri look patiently waiting while lying in the car seat.

"From now on, it's just been like this. We didn't know there would be a demonstration at Ketapang Port," said Liswatin.

Liswatin was annoyed that her trip to Bali was delayed for hours. But he could not do much because the car was already stuck.

"I'm just afraid the boat ticket will be forfeited because I already bought it online," he said.

Meanwhile, General Manager of PT ASDP Ketapang Banyuwangi, Suharto said that the actions carried out by logistics transport drivers had an impact on activities at the port.

"Since earlier there were only a few vehicles that could enter, only a few came out because it was closed," Suharto said.

With this action, Suharto said, shipping activities at Ketapang Port were automatically disrupted.

"Indeed, the demands are not on ASDP, but the impact on us," he said.

ASDP, continued Suharto, until now his party is still waiting for a decision from the Land Transportation Management Center (BPTD) of Ketapang Port.

"For shipping, we are waiting for a decision from BPTD. We are still coordinating with BPTD. Because ASDP is now a full port operator. So it does not have the authority to close or open it," he concluded.

The demonstration carried out by the drivers received tight security from the police. There were 281 personnel from the Banyuwangi Police who were deployed. These personnel are also backed up by one platoon of Brimob members.