Bali deploys 100 soldiers, 20 police to ease fuel queues

Bali authorities deployed 100 soldiers and 20 policemen to operate fuel stations and escort tanker trucks after fuel shortages disrupted the Indonesian tourism island, The Straits Times reported Oct. 19.

The 120-person deployment included five soldiers for every policeman, and followed an Oct. 17 odd-even rule for subsidised Pertalite that eased queues in two areas while two regencies still had long lines.

The personnel were also assigned to help keep order at filling stations. By Oct. 18, lines had eased in Denpasar city and Badung regency, while Buleleng and Jembrana regencies continued to face long queues, the report said.

The deployment came after a public clash involving Bali Governor Wayan Koster and exhausted fuel-station workers, according to the report. One staff member was quoted as saying: “I’m not a robot. I’m tired too, sir.”

Pertalite is a subsidised gasoline product, making access to it politically and economically sensitive when supply tightens. Bali’s dependence on transport for residents, services and tourism gives fuel availability wider importance than a routine retail disruption.

The report did not specify the cause of the shortage, the number of affected fuel stations, or how long soldiers and police would remain at stations and with tanker trucks. The next observable test is whether queues continue to shrink outside Denpasar and Badung after the Oct. 17 purchasing rule.

Source: News report, The Straits Times, Oct. 19, 2026