Mabes TNI Bentuk Satgas Lintas Matra untuk Redam Kemacetan 15 km di Ketapang

Suara Pecari – 15 April 2026 | The headquarters of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (Mabes TNI) has activated a joint task force to clear a severe traffic jam that extended for 15 kilometers on the main road to Ketapang Port.

The jam, which emerged after the Lebaran holiday, affected the Situbondo‑Banyuwangi corridor and risked hampering the movement of goods and passengers between Java and Bali.

The operation, launched on Thursday, April 2, mobilized several hundred military personnel from the army, navy and air force to work on the congested stretch.

Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Muhammad Puji Santoso, head of the Banyuwangi Police Sector, explained that the task force received a seven‑day mandate, with the possibility of extension if the situation demands.

“Satgas diperintahkan selama tujuh hari dan apabila diperlukan lebih lama lagi, akan kami laporkan ke komando atas,” he said.

The deployed force comprises 130 members from the Banyuwangi Naval Base, the Indonesian Fleet Command (Koarmada RI) and the Eastern Fleet (Koarmada V Surabaya).

An additional 75 soldiers come from the Maritime Surveillance Center (Puslatpurmar) units 07/Lampon and 05/Baluran, while another 75 are drawn from the 0825th Military District in Banyuwangi.

The battalion Armed 8/Uddhata Yudha Jember contributes 65 personnel, bringing the total number of troops on site to roughly three hundred.

Troops were positioned at critical points along the Situbondo‑Banyuwangi route and in the large truck parking area to regulate vehicle flow and prevent the queue from expanding.

Coordination with the port authority and the Bali‑Banyuwangi ferry service was also established to synchronize ship schedules with road traffic.

By late afternoon on the same day, the length of the jam had been reduced from about fifteen kilometers in the morning to roughly seven kilometers.

The reduction was largely attributed to the combined effort of traffic controllers, military engineers and local police who cleared stalled vehicles and opened additional lanes.

According to Puji, the bulk of the congestion is caused by oversized trucks transporting logistics cargo that resumed operation after the holiday restriction.

“Setelah libur, kendaraan besar kembali diizinkan beroperasi dan ini menjadi imbas antrean yang terjadi sekarang,” he noted.

Local traders expressed relief as the shortened queue allowed timely delivery of commodities such as fuel, foodstuffs and construction materials to the island.

The TNI command indicated that the task force will continue monitoring the corridor and will submit a report for possible extension of the mission.

Authorities also warned drivers to adhere to designated lanes and to avoid stopping on the main road to sustain the flow of traffic.

As of the evening of April 2, the situation remained under control, and the joint military‑civil effort is expected to restore normal traffic conditions in the coming days.