Indonesia Fuel Crisis
Planning a Bali trip? Fuel shortage triggers odd-even rule, Indian tourist shares nightmare
The Bali government is introducing an odd-even system for fuel purchases to ease long queues at petrol pumps amid a severe fuel shortage on the Indonesian island.
The temporary measure will take effect on Saturday, October 17, and is currently scheduled to remain in place until October 19, The Bali Times reported.
Under the experimental system, motorists will be allowed to purchase subsidised fuel based on the last digit of their vehicle’s licence plate and the calendar date.
Bali jadi pulau zombie??? bener bener ga ada yg gerak, antrian panjang sampe jalan lumpuh, bankan ada pemotor yang pingsan + bapak bapak supir yang nangis 🙂 https://t.co/bimfIevVYr
— Caramel 🌴 (@ccaramelh2h) October 14, 2026
Vehicles with odd-numbered licence plates will be permitted to refuel on October 17, while those with even-numbered plates will be allowed to do so on October 18, the news portal reported.
The restrictions come as long queues continue to build up at filling stations despite additional fuel shipments, extended operating hours and efforts to speed up distribution.
Bali's petrol queues are currently snaking for KILOMETERS. bikes lined up for hours. turns out it’s a supply chain story, not a fuel shortage: 1 | one tanker had an anchor problem while unloading. rough seas slowed the rest. bali runs on 2 fuel terminals and a tanker schedule, so any buffer lasts for days only 2 | panic buying multiplier: once queues became visible, everyone with half a tank joined them. the depots had stock (per the governor), but synchronized topping-up turned a delay into a crisis 3 | a fuel queue is kinda like a bank run you can see from the road. the fear of the shortage IS the shortage the fix is already flowing: replacement tanker landed with 18M liters, 24-hour deliveries since tuesday. but queues clear slower than they form, cos every tank on the island is now being filled to the brim 🫠 fun fact: the Bali Strait is only about 2.4km wide at its narrowest (you can see Java from the beach) and there’s still no fuel pipeline across it. everything refined arrives by coastal tanker to those two terminals (Sanggaran near Denpasar, Manggis in the east), then road tankers to stations. why no pipe across a 2.4km gap? bali’s volume doesn’t justify fixed infrastructure when tankers are flexible, the strait sits in an active seismic zone, and pipes hate juggling fuel types. pertalite, pertamax and diesel all need separate handling. ships batch this easily, but pipes don’t). indonesia’s fuel grid is 17,000 islands served by ships so when one anchor fails, you get this massive traffic jam. islands are beautiful until you remember everything arrives by boat 🫣
— marianne (@tuakdotsol) October 16, 2026
Authorities have introduced the system to prevent motorists from stockpiling fuel and ensure that more people get an opportunity to refuel amid the ongoing crisis.
In addition, authorities are imposing limits on fuel purchases. Car owners will be allowed to buy a maximum of 20 litres per transaction, while the limit for motorcycles will be capped at three litres.
The odd-even system will be reviewed after three days to assess its effectiveness.
Meanwhile, an Indian entrepreneur has urged travellers to remain alert about the situation in Bali after nearly missing his flight to India due to severe traffic congestion.
In a video shared on Instagram, Susheel Jain, founder of Shusheal Yoga, recounted his experience of struggling to reach the airport amid lengthy traffic jams.
“Today I'm travelling back to India from Bali and I almost missed my flight. If you're in Bali or if you're travelling to Bali, you should know what is happening right now. It was a nightmare,” Jain said in the post.
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