Jakarta. A severe traffic jam that lasted two days at Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta has caused significant losses, especially among truck operators. According to the Indonesian Truck Entrepreneurs Association (Aptrindo), the congestion halted truck activities heading to the port, leading to an estimated loss of Rp 120 billion ($7 million).

Aptrindo chairman Gemilang Tarigan said the financial impact on truck operators included rising fuel costs, driver meal expenses, and delayed deliveries of goods. “The losses we incurred amounted to Rp 120 billion yesterday,” Gemilang told Beritasatu.com, The Jakarta Globe's sister publication, on Friday.

“There are many components contributing to the losses. If the congestion continues and trucks remain stuck, the losses will keep increasing,” he added.

Gemilang pointed out that traffic congestion is a common issue, especially at the entrance to the NPCT 1 terminal at Tanjung Priok Port, Indonesia's busiest port. A surge in vehicle volume has resulted in long queues at the terminal. Data showed a nearly 100 percent increase, with 4,000 trucks entering the terminal, up from an average of 2,500.

“This surge in truck numbers caused congestion on arterial roads, as trucks lined up at the gate. We've raised this issue multiple times with Pelindo and other stakeholders, suggesting that the common gate at NPCT-1 be eliminated,” he emphasized.

The severe congestion, which trapped thousands of vehicles, including container trucks and ambulances, began early Thursday morning and lasted well into the night. A trailer driver named Arifin, traveling from Plumpang to the port, spent over five hours in gridlock for a journey that would normally take just 30 minutes.

“I’ve been stuck since 9:30 a.m. and only reached the port entrance at 4 p.m. This is the worst I’ve seen. Usually, traffic spikes during weekends, but today was on another level,” Arifin said.

Another truck driver, Agil, expressed frustration after his gate pass expired due to being stuck in the severe traffic. "At 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, my gate pass expired. I have to renew it now, which means more costs," Agil said.

The congestion stretched across major roads, including Jalan Yos Sudarso, Jalan RE Martadinata, Jalan Enggano, and the Wiyoto Wiyono and Sedyatmo toll roads. The number of trucks heading to the NPCT 1 terminal surged to over 4,000, nearly double the usual daily volume.

Pelindo Regional 2 Tanjung Priok, which manages the port, attributed the traffic jam to a post-Eid spike in cargo deliveries as truck operators rushed to resume activities after holiday transport restrictions were lifted.

By early Friday morning, traffic around Tanjung Priok Port began to ease, and vehicles that had been stranded earlier in the day started moving again. 

Harry Nurcahyo from the Jakarta Police Traffic Corps explained that traffic flow was managed using a system of opening and closing concrete barriers near the Kebon Bawang toll gate.

“When there is movement from the Tanjung Priok Container Terminal, we will open the barriers again,” Harry explained regarding the efforts to control the traffic congestion heading into the port.