New Bali Bus Routes To Top Destinations Could Save Tourists From Traffic Delays

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Kintamani is quickly becoming one of Bali’s hottest travel destinations. With more tourists putting the volcanic highlands on their travel itineraries, leaders are looking at ways in which travel to the remote community can be made easier.

Unlike the coastal resorts of the central south of Bali, Kintamani is located in the heart of the island and has poor public transport infrastructure and limited main road access. 

The Bangli Transportation Service has proposed the creation of a series of new public transport links to the bustling tourist village of Kintamani.

The Damari bus service operates within Bangli Regency but, at present, does not offer routes that are easily useable for tourists, and all that could be about to change. 

Speaking to reporters, the Head of Transportation Service of Bangli, Sang Putu Surata, said that currently, the Damri transportation service in Bangli Regency offers only five routes.

These routes operate between Bangli-Songan, Bangli-Catur, Bangli-Tejakula, Bangli-Metro-Suter, and Trunyanyan-Bayung Gede Kintamani. 

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Surata explained that there is now a plan to open a new Damri bus service between Kintamani and Ubud through Payangan, Gianyar.

He said,  “In October, a technical meeting will be held to propose this route to the Ministry. Now the preparation is being collected.”

He noted that the route would require a collaborative effort between the transportation authorized in Gianyar, who oversees public services in Ubud, and his own teams in Bangli Regency, who are responsible for Kintamani. 

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This bus route would surely help tackle at least some of the mounting traffic issues seen in Ubud and, more recently, in Kintamani, too.

As tourism booms in both of these hotspots, an increasing number of vehicles are putting pressure on road infrastructure that was never designed to service this volume of traffic.

Bali is set to see its busiest year on record for tourism, and this upsurge in tourism arrivals is perhaps most noticeable in areas like Kintamani and Ubud. 

With limited public transpiration options, tourists who wish to visit Kintamani hire a private driver for the day, with thousands of tourists heading from Ubud and the resorts of the south of Bali every single day, in addition to local traffic, bottlenecks, and traffic congestion in and around the Kintamani area are becoming more of a problem for all road users. 

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Despite the traffic, tourists are as excited and as committed as ever to tick off their ultimate Bali bucket list activities, including a visit to Kintamani.

The volcanic village community is best known as the gateway to Mount Batur and, over the last three years, has blossomed into a more established tourism destination in its own right.

The shoreline of Lake Batur is now home to dozens of exceptional glamping accommodations, and the main high street in Kintamani is home to some of the best coffee shops and independent coffee roasters the island has to offer. 

Generally speaking tourists are eager to travel in the most affordable and accessible way possible, a direct bus service connecting Ubud and Kintamani that operated at times catered towards tourist day trips would be a complete game changer for both tourists and the local community.

Leaders have been working to tackle Ubud traffic issues for years, yet solutions are starting to run thin. 

Many feel that more public bus services could and should be the short-term answer to many of Bali’s mounting traffic problems, especially since leaders have confirmed that things will likely get worse before they get better.

In south Bali, a series of ambitious road development projects are already underway, with more starting in the next months.

These roadworks will cause more traffic congestion in the Kuta, Jimbaran, and Jalan Bypass-Jalan Labuan Sait areas of Badung Regency in the short-medium term yet.

Tourists have been warned to plan ahead and to expect delays in the Bukit Peninsula area starting in September.