House Commission V Pushes Sea Bus Transport to Tackle Bali's Traffic Congestion
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Chairman of House of Representatives Commission V, Lasarus, has pushed for the development of sea bus transport as a solution to tackle traffic congestion in Bali, following increasingly severe gridlock caused by the growth of tourism on the island.
"How can we make sea ports and sea buses more effective? We need to maximise them. In my view, they could significantly help disperse people moving from one coastal area to another," Lasarus said during a working meeting between Commission V and Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi and Ministry of Transport officials in Jakarta on Wednesday (18 February).
According to him, traffic conditions in Bali have become extremely congested, necessitating mass transport alternatives capable of moving passengers via sea routes more effectively.
He stated that he had conducted a working visit to Bali to directly observe transport congestion conditions and the need for improved inter-port connectivity for the mobility of residents and tourists.
Initial simulations indicate that a number of ports in Bali have the potential to be optimised as departure and arrival points, so that passenger movements would not be entirely dependent on land routes, which are currently severely congested.
Lasarus added that the development of sea transport could be realised relatively more quickly compared to the construction of other transport mode infrastructure such as railways, making it a viable short-term measure to help ease congestion across Bali's various tourism areas.
"Because we all know about Bali — Bali contributes Rp173 trillion per year in foreign exchange revenue from tourism. Meanwhile, we all know the current state of Bali (gridlocked)," he said.
He emphasised that utilising sea routes would enable tourist movements from one coastal area to another without adding to the burden on roads that are already extremely congested.
"Bali is incredibly crowded now. The traffic in Bali is already packed," he said.
Beyond reducing congestion, the sea bus concept is also considered capable of enhancing tourism appeal, as inter-port journeys would offer a new experience for tourists visiting Bali whilst expanding local transport options.
"Tourists come to Bali every day. So our nearest option is to make existing sea ports more effective, and then introduce sea buses. That way, people move from port to port, partly by land, whilst enjoying the ports along the way," he explained.
Lasarus therefore urged the Ministry of Transport to take a more proactive role in preparing regulations, technical support, and coordination with local government and port operators so that the plan can be implemented promptly.
He said that optimising ports already in operation is considered the most realistic step in the near term, whilst awaiting the development of other transport infrastructure that requires lengthy timelines and substantial investment.
"If we wait to build a new airport in the north, access to the north isn't easy. We haven't even tendered the toll road yet. From Denpasar to Gilimanuk, it still hasn't gone to tender to this day," Lasarus said.
"We haven't even discussed northern Bali yet. If we go to northern Bali, we're talking about Denpasar to northern Bali, going up. There's an airport there, but what about access? It's not easy. The quickest and easiest thing today is to make sea ports and sea buses as effective as possible," Lasarus added.
"How can we make sea ports and sea buses more effective? We need to maximise them. In my view, they could significantly help disperse people moving from one coastal area to another," Lasarus said during a working meeting between Commission V and Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi and Ministry of Transport officials in Jakarta on Wednesday (18 February).
According to him, traffic conditions in Bali have become extremely congested, necessitating mass transport alternatives capable of moving passengers via sea routes more effectively.
He stated that he had conducted a working visit to Bali to directly observe transport congestion conditions and the need for improved inter-port connectivity for the mobility of residents and tourists.
Initial simulations indicate that a number of ports in Bali have the potential to be optimised as departure and arrival points, so that passenger movements would not be entirely dependent on land routes, which are currently severely congested.
Lasarus added that the development of sea transport could be realised relatively more quickly compared to the construction of other transport mode infrastructure such as railways, making it a viable short-term measure to help ease congestion across Bali's various tourism areas.
"Because we all know about Bali — Bali contributes Rp173 trillion per year in foreign exchange revenue from tourism. Meanwhile, we all know the current state of Bali (gridlocked)," he said.
He emphasised that utilising sea routes would enable tourist movements from one coastal area to another without adding to the burden on roads that are already extremely congested.
"Bali is incredibly crowded now. The traffic in Bali is already packed," he said.
Beyond reducing congestion, the sea bus concept is also considered capable of enhancing tourism appeal, as inter-port journeys would offer a new experience for tourists visiting Bali whilst expanding local transport options.
"Tourists come to Bali every day. So our nearest option is to make existing sea ports more effective, and then introduce sea buses. That way, people move from port to port, partly by land, whilst enjoying the ports along the way," he explained.
Lasarus therefore urged the Ministry of Transport to take a more proactive role in preparing regulations, technical support, and coordination with local government and port operators so that the plan can be implemented promptly.
He said that optimising ports already in operation is considered the most realistic step in the near term, whilst awaiting the development of other transport infrastructure that requires lengthy timelines and substantial investment.
"If we wait to build a new airport in the north, access to the north isn't easy. We haven't even tendered the toll road yet. From Denpasar to Gilimanuk, it still hasn't gone to tender to this day," Lasarus said.
"We haven't even discussed northern Bali yet. If we go to northern Bali, we're talking about Denpasar to northern Bali, going up. There's an airport there, but what about access? It's not easy. The quickest and easiest thing today is to make sea ports and sea buses as effective as possible," Lasarus added.