Ombudsman NTT Records 29 Complaints on Kupang Port Transport

Kupang — The East Nusa Tenggara representative office of Indonesia’s Ombudsman received 29 public complaints about passenger transport services at Kupang’s Tenau and Bolok ports in August 2026, according to statements carried by public broadcaster RRI and local media reports published on 17 September 2026.

The complaints were presented at a cross-agency coordination meeting held at the Ombudsman’s Kupang office on Wednesday, 16 September 2026. According to RRI, participants included the Kupang Harbormaster and Port Authority Office (KSOP Class III Kupang), Pelindo Regional 3’s Tenau branch, ASDP Indonesia Ferry’s Kupang branch, the East Nusa Tenggara Provincial Transportation Agency and the East Nusa Tenggara Police’s Vital Object Security Directorate.

RRI reported that Philipus Max Jemadu, head of the Ombudsman’s public complaints examination unit in NTT, outlined the 29 complaints received in August. The reports cover both Tenau and Bolok ports but were not broken down by port or category in the public summary.

Access, fares and passenger handling

According to RRI, the complaints included alleged restrictions on taxis and online motorcycle taxis in accessing passenger areas inside the ports. Some passengers were said to have had to walk out of the port complex to find alternative transport, particularly when online taxis were not allowed to pick up inside.

Service users also raised concerns about taxi fares that were considered unreasonably high for relatively short trips from the ports. RRI noted that passengers questioned the lack of clear, integrated arrangements linking port operators with online taxi services and conventional taxis operating under official tariffs.

The broadcaster further reported complaints about allegedly harsh treatment from officers or service providers when passengers declined to use conventional port taxis. The Ombudsman warned that such behaviour could cause discomfort and potentially trigger conflict between passengers and transport providers.

These conditions were described as leading to time lost in queues at port gates, unclear fares and additional difficulties for older people, pregnant women, children, sick passengers and people with disabilities, who may struggle if required to walk with luggage to vehicles outside the port area.

Key figures and dates

• The Ombudsman office in NTT received 29 complaints
• The cross-agency coordination meeting in Kupang took place on Wednesday, 16 September 2026.
• The NTT Transportation Agency issued a circular on the temporary application of fares for non-route passenger transport, including port taxis, in 2025.

Meeting agreements and reporting route

RRI reported that the coordination meeting reached several agreements aimed at improving transport arrangements at Tenau and Bolok. One key point recorded was that no law or regulation prohibits online taxis from dropping off or picking up passengers in the designated passenger service areas of the ports. Online taxis are therefore allowed to collect passengers there as well as deliver them, under the agreed interpretation of existing rules.

Philipus Max Jemadu urged passengers or online drivers who encounter access restrictions that disrupt transport services to report the issue to police officers stationed in the port area, so that it can be handled promptly. RRI did not specify further enforcement timetables or monitoring mechanisms.

Local media reporting on the Ombudsman’s role in resolving previous disputes at Tenau notes that one of the longer-term solutions discussed has been the formation or use of cooperatives to organise conventional port taxi operators and ensure vehicles meet licensing and roadworthiness requirements. In its latest coverage, RRI stated that a cooperative, identified as Karya Bahari, has been established to accommodate conventional taxis operating at the ports and is in the process of completing business licensing requirements.

The NTT Provincial Transportation Agency issued a circular in 2025 setting temporary fares for non-route passenger transport, including port taxi services at Tenau and Bolok. Under that circular, public-transport operators in the port areas are instructed to follow the official tariffs and not set fares unilaterally, and RRI reported that port authorities plan joint outreach with the transport agency to conventional taxi providers.

Ongoing coordination

The September 2026 coordination meeting followed the Ombudsman’s receipt of the 29 complaints in August and brought port operators, the ferry company, provincial transport officials and police together to address passenger transport management at Tenau and Bolok. For travellers using ferries and ships at the two ports, the agreed position on online taxi access and the push for regulated fares are intended to reduce confusion and disputes at arrival and departure points.

Sources

• RRI.co.id – Ombudsman NTT Koordinasikan Penataan Transportasi Pelabuhan Tenau dan Bolok
• Ombudsman RI – Ombudsman NTT Urai Kisruh Taksi Pelabuhan Tenau dan Taksi Online
• Halokupang.com – coverage mentioning Ombudsman NTT push on taxi arrangements after 29 complaints