Last week, Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta was in chaos, as Indonesia’s national logistics surged back to life after more than two weeks of an extended holiday period. The port, Indonesia’s busiest gateway for import and export, was overwhelmed, with trucks lined up in endless queues while containers piled up.
The Indonesia Shipping Gazette (ISG) has called the logjam of April 16 and 17 a “wake-up call” that demands forward planning and systemic reform.
Adil Karim, Chairman of the Indonesian Logistics and Forwarders Association (ALFI) for Jakarta, was reported as being unsurprised by the chaos. “What we saw on the 16th and 17th of April was a predictable aftermath of the long holiday,” he said, speaking on Monday, April 21. “For more than 16 days, factories stood still, distribution stopped, and the entire supply chain froze. Then, all at once, it snapped back into action.”
On top of the increased exports, there was also a surge in imported goods, primarily industrial raw materials intended to sustain production over the next several weeks. Adil pointed out that even though contracts for those imports had been signed earlier, delivery was postponed to align with domestic readiness.
The spike in logistics coincided with the end of the Eid homecoming period and the lifting of restrictions on goods transportation.
PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Persero) Regional 2 Tanjung Priok confirmed that the disruption was primarily due to the dramatic increase in container loading and unloading operations.
The Port has now resumed normal operations following the heavy traffic congestion. Container loading and unloading activities at the terminals are now running smoothly, and the flow of trucks for both receiving and delivery has returned to normal on both sides.
According to Arif Suhartono, President Director of Pelindo, the logjam was also the result of operations at the New Priok Container Terminal 1 (NPCT1). A delay in the docking schedule led to three ships arriving simultaneously—an unexpected spike in activity that overwhelmed the terminal’s capacity for loading and unloading containers.
Simultaneously, there was a surge of truck arrivals at the port, coinciding with the lead-up to a long weekend, which only worsened the bottleneck.
To prevent such a scenario from repeating, ALFI Jakarta has put forward four key recommendations:
– First, Rethink Long Holiday Policies.
– Second, Implement a Terminal Booking System (TBS).
– Third, Accelerate the Development of Patimban Port.
– Fourth, Address the Consequences of Delays.
The congestion at Tanjung Priok wasn’t just inconvenient—it was costly.
Meanwhile, Mohamad Erwin, Secretary of Indonesia National Shipowners’ Association (INSA Jaya) proposed the formation of a Joint Logistics Stakeholder Forum—comprising representatives from the central and provincial governments, Pelindo, terminal operators, trucking associations, freight forwarders, and shipping companies.
Erwin highlighted the need for a long-term solution to prevent similar disruptions in the future, especially following national holidays.
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