Indonesia's transport system has been shaped over time by the economic resource base of an archipelago with thousands of islands, and the distribution of its more than 200 million people concentrated mainly on a single island, Java.
All modes of transport play a role in the country's transport system and are generally complementary rather than competitive. Road transport is predominant, with a total system length of in 2020. The railway system has five unconnected networks in Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi primarily dedicated to transport bulk commodities and long-distance passenger traffic.
Sea transport is extremely important for economic integration, as well as for domestic and foreign trade. It is well developed, with each of the major islands having at least one significant port city. The role of inland waterways is relatively minor and is limited to certain areas of Eastern Sumatra and Kalimantan.
The function of air transport is significant, particularly where land or water transport is deficient or non-existent. It is based on an extensive domestic airline network in which all major cities can be reached by passenger plane.
Water transport
Merchant marine vessels
Because Indonesia encompasses a sprawling archipelago, maritime shipping provides essential links between different parts of the country. Boats in common use include large container ships, a variety of ferries, passenger ships, sailing ships, and smaller motorised vessels. The traditional wooden pinisi vessel is still widely used as the inter-island freight service within Indonesian archipelago. Main pinisi traditional harbours are Sunda Kelapa in Jakarta and Paotere harbour in Makassar.
Frequent ferry services cross the straits between nearby islands, especially in the chain of islands stretching from Sumatra through Java to the Lesser Sunda Islands. On the busy crossings between Sumatra, Java, and Bali, multiple car ferries run frequently twenty-four hours per day. There are also international ferry services between across the Straits of Malacca between Sumatra and Malaysia, and between Singapore and nearby Indonesian islands, such as Batam. Ferry services are operated by state-owned ASDP Indonesia Ferry and several private operators.
A network of passenger ships makes longer connections to more remote islands, especially in the eastern part of the archipelago. The national shipping line, Pelni, provides passenger service to ports throughout the country on a two to four week schedule. These ships generally provide the least expensive way to cover long distances between islands. Smaller privately run boats provide service between islands.
On some islands, major rivers provide a key transportation link in the absence of good roads. On Kalimantan, longboats running on the rivers are the only way to reach many inland areas.
Waterways Indonesia has of navigable waterways (), of which about one half are on Kalimantan, and a quarter each on Sumatra and Papua. Waterways are highly needed because the rivers on these islands are not wide enough to hold medium-sized ships. In addition to this, roads and railways are not good options since Kalimantan and Papua are not like Java, which is a highly developed island. With the current length of waterways, Indonesia ranked seventh on the countries with longest waterways.
Ports and harbours
Major ports and harbours include Bitung, Cilacap, Cirebon, Jakarta, Kupang, Palembang, Semarang, Surabaya, and Makassar.
World Development Indicators reports Indonesia's annual container-port traffic at 10,535,691 TEU in 2016 and 12,380,584 TEU in 2022. The indicator includes coastal and international journeys, empty units, and transshipment traffic counted as two lifts at the intermediate port.
Indonesia's annual container-port traffic in TEUs, covering coastal and international land–sea container flows, empty units, and transshipment counted as two lifts. Each point is the annual observation for the labelled year. Coverage is limited to the verified 2016–2022 WDI rows; unresolved earlier rows and blank later years are excluded. The values reflect the World Development Indicators release updated 13 July 2026 and may be revised.
Raw data Ports are managed by the various Indonesia Port Corporations, of which there are four, numbered I through IV. Each has jurisdiction over various regions of the country, with I in the west and IV in the east. Port of Tanjung Priok in Jakarta is the Indonesia's busiest port, handling over 5.20 million TEUs.
A two-phase "New Tanjung Priok" extension project is currently underway, which will triple the existing annual capacity when fully operational in 2023. In 2015, ground breaking of the strategic North Sumatra's Kuala Tanjung Port has been completed. It is expected to accommodate 500,000 TEUs per year, overtaking Johor's Tanjung Pelepas Port and could even compete with the port of Singapore.
List of ship accidents and incidents in Indonesia
This list is a list of ship accidents and incidents sorted by year, from most recent.
2025 2 July – The Ro/Ro Ferry KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank on a voyage between the Port of Ketapang to Gilimanuk. As of July 20 of that year, 19 were found dead while 16 were missing. 30 people survived. 5 May – The Ferry KM Muchlisa sank in the waters of Penajam Paser Utara Regency, East Kalimantan (Kaltim). A number of drowned passengers have been evacuated. The location of the sunken ship is only 200 meters from the mainland of Penajam Paser Utara Regency and the Muchlisa ferry is currently sinking. The cause of the sinking of the ship is suspected to be a leak and the engine died during the incident.
2023 19 August – KM Dewi Noor 1 with 15 passengers was reported to have sunk in the Waters of the Seribu Islands, on Friday (8/19/2023). The ship loaded with building materials departed from Mutiara Beach to Sepa Island. 27 April – Speedboat Evelyn Calisca capsized at around 13:40 WIB in the waters of Kateman District and Burung Island. The ship departed from Pelindo Tembilahan Port, Indragiri Hilir Regency, Riau, bound for Tanjung Pinang, Riau Islands Province.
2021
29 June – The MV Yunicee Passenger Motor Ship is one of the ferries of the Ro-Ro type owned by PT. Surya Timur Line which serves the Gilimanuk-Ketapang crossing route which capsized and then sank when it was about to dock at a distance of 200–300 meters from Gilimanuk Port on 29 June 2021, at 19.20 WITA. This ship is 56.6 meters long and 8.6 meters wide.
2018 3 July – Motorboat KM Lestari Maju carrying passengers from Bulukumba to Selayar, South Sulawesi ran aground in the waters of Pabeddilang Beach, causing at least 34 deaths.Number of Passengers on KM Lestari Maju Different from Manifest 29 June – A speedboat carrying illegal Indonesian migrant workers from Tawau, Malaysia, collided with another speedboat in the waters of Sebatik, North Kalimantan, causing at least 8 deaths and 2 others injured missing.Police Name 3 Suspects in Speedboat Accident in Sebatik 18 June – Around 164 people are missing and 3 people died after the KM Sinar Bangun sank in Lake Toba, North Sumatra.Facts about the Sinking of KM Sinar Bangun in Lake Toba 13 June – 16 people died after KM Arista capsized on its way from Paotere Port to Baranglompo Island, South Sulawesi.100 People Deployed to Search for 2 Victims of KM Arista Sinking in Makassar Waters 2 May – A speedboat carrying 12 passengers from Tabonji District to Merauke City capsized in Wamal waters, Tubang District, Merauke Regency, Papua, and caused 11 people to go missing.termasuk-bidan Speedboat Capsizes in Merauke, 2 Passengers Missing Including Midwife 20 February – The ferry Kayong Utara carrying 31 passengers, eight trucks, one private car and two motorbikes from Muntok, Bangka Belitung capsized when entering the waters of Tanjung Api-api, Banyuasin, South Sumatra. 1 January – 8 people died after the MV Anugrah Express fast boat capsized in the waters of the Tanjung Api-api river, Tanjung Selor, North Kalimantan.Eight people killed in Tarakan boat accident
2017 19 May – Five passengers died and 24 others went missing in the burning of KM Mutiara Sentosa I disaster in the waters of Masalembu, Sumenep, East Java Province. 1 January – 23 passengers died in the burning of KM Zahro Express disaster in the waters of Kepulauan Seribu, Jakarta.
2009 22 November – Dumai Express 10 Ship Disaster in the waters of Tanjung Balai Karimun, Riau Islands caused by bad weather. The incident resulted in 28 deaths (details attached), 12 missing and 12 hospitalized at Tanjung Balai Karimun Regional Hospital and 2 at Balai Health Center. 28 August – KM Sari Mulia Ship For the search for victims on the third day, two more bodies were found by SAR officers. With that, the total number of victims found has reached 21 passengers. 27 July – Cahaya Abadi Utama sank in Makassar Strait, A wooden ship loaded with 50 tons of corn and 3,000 bunches of bananas sailed from Budonbudon District, Mamuju Regency, South Sulawesi to Samarinda on Monday (7/27) morning. "All crew members are safe, there were no fatalities," said Assistant Police Commissioner Handoko 11 January – KM Teratai Prima Motor Ship 0 sank in Tanjung Baturoro, Sendana, Majene, West Sulawesi; of the approximately 300 victims, only 36 were rescued by fishermen.
2008 31 August, The MV Belanak passenger motor ship (KMP) was a ferry type owned by PT Angkutan Sungai Danau and The crossing (ASDP) hit a speedboat belonging to a pamuge fisherman (fish buyer in the middle of the sea) in the waters of the West Coast, precisely 1.5 miles from Putri Island to the west, Sunday (31/8) morning at around 05.30 WIB. 28 August, the Ro-ro Dharma Ferry 3 ship departing from Makassar (South Sulawesi) to Balikpapan (East Kalimantan), caught fire when it was about to dock at the Semayang Port pier at around 11.00. 18 May, the Ro-ro Dharma Kencana ship from Semarang to Sampit caught fire. At around 12.00 WIB the ill-fated ship caught fire. The location of the burning ship was around 20 miles from Sampit port. The evacuation of passengers was done by the self-help of the Ship's Crew (ABK).
2007 18 October – KM Asita III sank at 11.00. 20.16 WITA in the waters of Kadatua Strait, about 10 miles from Baubau City, Buton Island, Southeast Sulawesi, 125 people survived, at least 31 people died, and 35 others were missing. 11 July – KM Sinar Madinah sank in the waters of the South Sea of Hu'u Village, Dompu Regency, West Nusa Tenggara province. The ship sank after being hit by waves as high as five meters. Seven crew members were entangled in the net, but six managed to save themselves. A crew member was missing along with the net that entangled him. 11 July – KM Wahai Star carrying around 100 passengers and thousands of tons of agricultural products from Leksula bound for Ambon sank in the waters between Buru Island and Ambon. 22 February – At least 25 people died after the KM Levina I en route Tanjung Priok–Pangkal Balam, Bangka carrying 291 passengers caught fire in the Sunda Strait.Detik Levina I Ship Burns 80 km from Priok, 350 People Trapped 4 of them died while investigating the wreck on 25 February. They died when the wreck sank.Yahoo News Huge search for 120 missing in Indonesia ferry blaze
2006 30 December – Fishermen died when their boat was rolled by waves in the waters of Paciran, Lamongan Regency. 28 December – KM Tristar I disaster that sank in the Bangka Strait. Only 3 floating bodies were found.Detik.com
2005 8 July – KM Digoel accident in the Arafura Sea. It is estimated that 84 people were found dead and the fate of 100 passengers is still unknown.
2004 15 January – KM Sutra Alam 02 hit by the 2004 Aceh Tsunami in the waters Pulau We. Death toll reaches 176, ship dragged almost to shore.
2003