Indonesian Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has proposed the implementation of a contemporary transport system, including autonomous rapid rail transport (ART) and the development of the Bali City Metro (LRT), as an answer to public transport problems in Bali, especially to ease traffic congestion in Kuta.
This declaration was made through the National Transport Day 2024 celebrations held on September 17, 2024 on the Bali Maritim Tourism Hub (BMTH).
Budi Karya also encouraged the Bali provincial government to draw more investors, including from South Korea and China, to finance this ambitious project. Earlier, the provincial government announced an investment of IDR 325.7 billion ($20 billion) within the “Bali Urban Subway” project.
For your information, ART is an electrical public transport with rubber wheels that runs on virtual tracks inside certain limits. Autonomous trams mix features of sunshine rail (LRT) and bus rapid transit (BRT).
Although the project requires significant financial resources, it is predicted to stay reasonably priced for the general public, with the Ministry of Transport involved in regulating ticket prices.
As an extra measure, the Buy The Service (BTS) program will probably be used, which is a type of subsidy to support urban public transport services.
The Bali metro project will probably be in-built 4 stages: first phase will connect Ngurah Rai International Airport with Kuta, Seminyak, Berawa and Cemagi; the second phase will connect the airport to Jimbaran, UNUD and Nusa Dua; the third phase will connect Kuta Central Parking with Ssetan, Renon and Sanur; and fourth phase will connect Renon with Sukawati and Ubud.
The airport-to-Kuta and airport-to-Jimbaran-UNUD-Nusa Dua phases are expected to be accomplished by 2028, with the whole project expected to be accomplished by 2031.
