Plans To Create Water Taxi Network Throughout Bali Tourism Resorts Comes Under Scrutiny 

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Bali is on a mission to tackle its traffic problems once and for all. While massive road network developments are in the pipeline, with urgent changes necessary, leaders are looking down all possible avenues to make improvements quickly.

Leaders are now looking to create water taxi routes connecting the island’s biggest coastal resorts for tourists. 

This is an idea that has been on the cards for years, and there are already private fast boat companies like GoBoat that are operating water taxi routes. GoBoat offers regular crossings between Canggu and Uluwatu, for example, which considerably cut down travel time for tourists.

Leaders in Bali have been talking about opening a network of water taxis that would connect both top tourism destinations, but also important infrastructure like I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport.

Plans appear to be moving over the next level, and while the idea has received a lot of backing from the travel sector in Bali, some stakeholders have their concerns that the initiative simply won’t have the large-scale impact this mounting problem requires. 

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Local tourism expert Ricky Putra told reporters this week that the decision to invest in a water taxi network in Bali is a smart choice. He noted that strengthening maritime connectivity is a crucial part of transforming the tourism mobility system in Bali.

Putra also noted that by leveling up the maritime transportation network in Bali Province, there are knock-on benefits for surrounding areas, including Lombok and Flores, within the Lesser Sunda Islands destination framework. This creates benefits both for local businesses and local communities and gives tourists even more travel options with both ease and affordability. 

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Putra told reporters, “In recent months, the government has begun to strengthen the added value of the Lesser Sunda Islands region, particularly Bali, Lombok, and Flores, as a unified destination.”

He noted concerns, however, that while setting up a network of water taxis in Bali is relatively straightforward, the system must integrate with the land transportation network, and that is where more investment and strategic planning are needed. Putra explained, “Good connectivity must extend all the way to land. If access to and from the port remains congested, the impact will not be optimal.”

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Speaking separately, I Gusti Bagus Teja Putra, Corporate General Manager of Fourteen Roses Boutique Hotel Legian, shared his views that the development of sea transportation, such as water taxis, could only ever be a complementary traffic solution.

He noted that no matter how well thought-out such a network could be, it could never be the primary solution to Bali’s massive traffic congestion problems. He noted that while the concept is attractive from a tourist experience perspective, the idea has serious limitations in terms of capacity, market segmentation, and technical, operational factors such as weather and dock access. 

Putra noted, “The concept is interesting, especially for premium tourists. But realistically, its capacity is small and cannot fully address traffic congestion issues.” Adding  “As long as development remains concentrated and public transportation remains weak, congestion will persist.” 

Ultimately, he called for tourism stakeholders to push for maritime connectivity policies not as standalone solutions but rather to be part of a strategically developed integrated transportation system that encompasses land, sea, and public transportation across the island of Bali.

There are hopes that the first water taxis in the new system will be up and running by 2027, with a soft launch in late 2026. Indonesia’s Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi confirmed last week that IDR 1.2 trillion has been assigned to the project.

During a working meeting held last week, he explained, “Water taxis are an alternative solution for integrating land, sea, and air transportation to reduce traffic congestion in Bali Province, especially in Badung Regency.”

He added,  “Water taxis can connect I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport with the Canggu tourist area as an efficient, environmentally friendly mobility option that supports Bali’s tourism sector…Based on field observations, the land travel time from Ngurah Rai Airport to Canggu is one to two hours, while by water taxi it is expected to only take around 30 minutes.”