Bali Transport Agency Denies Entry of Thousands of Electric Taxis
Denpasar (ANTARA) — The Bali Transportation Agency (Dishub) has denied information circulating on social media claiming that thousands of electric taxis would be entering Bali.
“The information circulating on social media stating that 3,000 to 10,000 new electric taxis have been added in Bali is not true,” said the Head of Bali’s Transportation Agency, I Kadek Mudarta.
In an official statement issued in Denpasar on Monday, he explained that in order to support the readiness of electric vehicle infrastructure in Bali and accelerate the transition from fossil-fuelled vehicles to Battery-Based Electric Motor Vehicles (KBLBB), several measures have been put in place, including taxi quotas for Bali.
Based on a study conducted in 2015, the total taxi quota across Bali stands at 3,500 units, and the Bali provincial government has never issued additional quotas beyond the figure established by that study.
The head of Bali’s Transportation Agency said that as a follow-up to the Regional Action Plan for Accelerating the Use of KBLBB in Bali Province for 2022–2026, in accordance with the mandate of Bali Governor Regulation Number 48 of 2019 on the Use of Battery-Based Electric Motor Vehicles, several provisions have also been established.
“The strategy to accelerate the use of battery-based electric motor vehicles in Bali is being implemented through, among other things, a policy of electrifying the taxi fleet,” Mudarta said.
To this end, the Bali Transportation Agency requires business operators to replace their fossil-fuelled taxi fleets with battery-based electric motor vehicles gradually, in accordance with vehicle age and the business plans of taxi companies or cooperatives.
Rather than Bali receiving thousands of new electric taxi units, the regional government is encouraging the transition to take place within the existing registered fleet.
Furthermore, should new business entities wish to operate taxi transport services, they are encouraged to collaborate with taxi transport companies that are already operating and hold the relevant operating permits.
This will be carried out in accordance with the official quota, whilst empowering the resources and workforce of the Balinese community.