Cilegon. Thousands of vehicles formed long queues at the Merak Ferry Terminal in Banten, on the western tip of Java Island, waiting to cross to Bakauheni Port in Lampung, Sumatra Island, on Wednesday.

As patience wore thin, several motorists shouted protests when a government vehicle attempted to bypass the line.

The influx of private vehicles, buses, and motorcycles came during the year-end holiday season, which saw a sudden surge in traffic heading to Sumatra.

A traveler who introduced himself only as Sony said he left his home in Bogor around midnight for Merak but still couldn’t embark on a ferry until Wednesday afternoon, even though he used the executive terminal at a higher price.

“My family and I plan to go to Bandar Lampung to visit relatives, but the queue is very long. The executive dockyard has a limited capacity, and each ferry can carry only up to 200 vehicles. I have been waiting for five hours,” Sony said.

He expressed frustration that the facilities had not improved over time, especially during peak holiday seasons.

“At times like this, there should be an adequate number of ferries to reduce waiting times,” he said.

According to the Merak Port operator, 32 ferries were operating during the holiday season and had transported 9,145 vehicles and 36,805 passengers in the past 24 hours alone.

Tensions rose when a prisoner transport vehicle cut the queue and headed directly to the ramp entrance, prompting angry protests from other motorists.

They blocked the van from boarding the ferry and shouted insults at the driver. Port employees intervened and, after discovering that the van carried no passengers, ordered it to return to the queue.
 

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