Jakarta – Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, has confirmed that the development of the Bali LRT or Light Rail Transit project has been handed over to a consortium. Yet he stopped short of elaborating on the specific details of the consortium.
“We hope it (the project) will be finalized soon,” he said during a press conference on Monday, July 29, 2024.
Sandiaga said that the Bali Subway is expected to alleviate traffic congestion in densely populated areas like Canggu. He drew a comparison to the success of the MRT Jakarta, highlighting its positive impact on public transportation in the capital.
“This public transportation helps [the public]. It is effective in Jakarta. The MRT currently has 120,000 passengers per day. When I served in Jakarta, the target was only 70,000 passengers,” the former deputy governor of Jakarta added.
Ervan Maksum, Deputy for Facilities and Infrastructure at the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas), previously outlined the plans for the Bali LRT, including a potential underground route due to Bali’s unique urban landscape and building height restrictions.
The underground construction is expected to significantly increase costs, with estimates reaching Rp5 trillion or approximately US$340 million for a relatively short 4.5-4.9 kilometer route.
Despite the challenges, the Bali Subway project is seen as crucial for improving transportation infrastructure in Bali, particularly given the island’s heavy reliance on tourism and the increasing number of airport passengers.
