Allocating Rp 2.1 Trillion to Build Water Taxi in Bali, Transport Minister: Construction to Begin in August 2026

Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi has announced that the government intends to build a water taxi project, or sea taxi, in Bali with an initial investment value of Rp 2.1 trillion. He estimated that the project, aimed at easing traffic density in several Bali tourist areas, is scheduled to enter the construction phase in August 2026. “The estimated budget required for the initial investment component is Rp 1.21 trillion,” said Dudy during a Hearing with Commission V of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) in Senayan, Jakarta, on Wednesday, 8 April 2026. He explained that the water taxi project is proposed as a sea-based transport mode connecting several strategic main tourist locations in Bali, covering from the Ngurah Rai Airport area to the Canggu region. Dudy added that PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero), appointed as the water taxi operator, is currently preparing the pre-design study and feasibility study before proceeding to the detailed engineering design (DED). “ASDP, which will operate the water taxi, is still in the process of proposing the DED study. The construction work is planned to commence in August 2026 until July 2027,” stated Dudy. With the water taxi, it is hoped that the travel time from Ngurah Rai Airport to the Canggu area via land, which currently takes one to two hours, can be reduced to 30 minutes. “Because the Canggu area is among the top three tourist destinations with the highest interest from both domestic and international tourists in Bali,” said Dudy. Therefore, to ensure maritime safety aspects, Dudy stated that the water taxi project design will also include the construction of breakwaters, primarily at points with extreme water characteristics, such as at Sekeh Beach near Ngurah Rai Airport and Berawa Beach in Canggu. Dudy hopes that the water taxi will improve mobility for tourists and the public in Bali, so that efforts to reduce congestion in several tourist destinations can be addressed optimally. “So we are also continuing several acceleration steps, from completing studies to preparing technical designs so that the implementation of this project is on time,” he said.