Leaders in Bali have confirmed that the new Bali Urban Railway Network project also referred to as the Bali Metro or the Bali LRT, is still only in the planning phase, despite laying the first stone of the project in earlier this year.
The Indonesian Minister for Investment and Maritime Affairs, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, has confirmed that despite the groundbreaking ceremony and the ceremonial laying of the first stone, known as Ngruak, actual construction is still a way off.
Speaking at a press event in Jakarta last week, Minster Pandjaitan said, “We have all the finance, and I think a study is still being done.”
This level of uncertainty from a top minister is a cause for concern for Bali residents as the project is set to be completed by the end of 2031.
According to Minster Pandjaitan, the study phase is still focused on how the railway lines will intersect and operate around Bali Airport and the surrounding resorts.
He noted that the Bali Urban Railway Network would also pass through developing Kura-Kura Special Economic Zone to help increase accessibility and connectivity to Bali’s leading economic regions.
Minister Pandjaitan explained, “We are currently still working on completing the design of the underground LRT from Ngurah Rai airport to the special economic area, namely Kura-Kura Bali, Sanur, and also maybe later to Canggu.”
The investment reportedly secured for the project is in excess of USD 20 billion and is held in a partnership between PT Indotek and China Railway Construction Corporations (CRCC); the main contractor for the initiative is PT Sarana Bali Dwipa Jaya (SBDJ).
During the groundbreaking ceremony in September 2024, the Director of PT Sarana Bali Dwipa Jaya (SBDJ), Ari Askhara, confirmed that the initial construction is projected for completion in early 2028, with the service set to be fully operational by 2031.
He also revealed the price tourists must pay to use the rail service once trains are in operation.
Askhara explained, “Our projection is for tourist tariffs to range from USD 35 to USD 40 in a week. For example, if 40 USD is around IDR 600,000. So in a week, whenever, wherever you want to go, it will be more efficient.”
He confirmed, “We want local residents to be free as long as you have a Bali ID card. We are trying; what we are definitely trying for is free [travel].”
The Bali Urban Railway Network is set to revolutionize the way in which tourists and residents travel around south Bali.
As the central south of Bali becomes increasingly densely populated by both residents and tourists, leaders are looking into innovative ways to resolve the negative implications of mass and over-tourism.
Some of these solutions include infrastructural developments, and others include marketing alternative travel destinations in the province to tourists.
Solutions are to be implemented concurrently, creating both long and short-term impacts for the island.
Long-term infrastructural developments include leveling up road infrastructure, and the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economies, Sandiaga Uno, revealed plans last month for a new toll road to connect the north and south of the province.
Minister Uno told reporters that the central government has given a nod of approval to the project proposal and that the contract for the toll road will go up for tender in 2025.
Minister Uno revealed, “The toll road also connects to the re-tendering process of the Gilimanuk-Mengwi toll road. If there is this new toll road, hopefully, it will take around 90 minutes to reach North Bali.”
Poor connectivity to areas outside of the central south of Bali has been noted as one of the reasons tourists are not exploring other areas of the island.
In the short term, the Ministry of Tourism has launched a series of new initiatives to help promote North Bali and West Bali to domestic and international tourists, including the new 3B Tour Package, a new Digital Tourism Information Centre, and highlighting crowd-free destinations in Bali though the national tourism board, Wonderful Indonesia.
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Shorty
Tuesday 15th of October 2024
Indonesian provisional elections are scheduled for the end of November.
The decision to proceed, can, vary...becomes the purvey of the new Balinese Assembly.
For the usual critics this is standard for all our original countries when there's a change of government.
Jen
Tuesday 15th of October 2024
I don't know if this is going to happen, but if it does, does it make sense to be completely free for locals? Perhaps a discounted fee or monthly pass rather than free! Otherwise, they will keep raising the prices for tourists just to recoup their losses. And it might be overly crowded on the trains as well.
Sven
Tuesday 15th of October 2024
Hahaha.. Build first then plan later.
Komang
Tuesday 15th of October 2024
Not feasible in south Bali. Already to over developed. Get over it
Josh
Tuesday 15th of October 2024
Oh what a surpriiiiise!!