Trans Metro Dewata Electric Bus Kuta-Nusa Dua Route Starts Trial

The Bali Provincial Government launched a Trans Metro Dewata electric bus in Denpasar, Monday 25/8/2025. (ANTARA/Ni Putu Putri Muliantari)

The Bali Transportation Agency (Dishub) has started to conduct free trials on Trans Metro Dewata (TMD) electric buses on the Kuta-Nusa Dua Parking Central route.

"If the trial is usually free, we will find a way, the plan for one month is free because everything must be tested," said Head of the Bali Transportation Agency, IGW Samsi Gunarta, Monday, August 25.

Currently, only one electric bus is being tested through the assistance of PT Kalista to find out the real conditions when running battery-based public transportation in Bali.

"So that operators can learn how to use this electric bus, where the problem is, what is the concern, so that later all 2028 buses operated by the Bali Provincial Government can be electric buses, so they must start learning from now on," he said.

The operator of this electric bus is the same as the Trans Metro Dewata, where the specifications of the bus unit are not much different except for the differences that lie in fuel.

During the trial process, the Bali Transportation Agency designed a capacity of 25-30 people to enter the electric bus for the K6B route, namely the Kuta-Nusa Dua Parking Central through I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport and operate the same as the usual Trans Metro Gods.

The selection of this route is based on the availability of SPKLU for vehicle charging, as well as seeing the daily occupancy of Trans Metro Dewata buses.

This is at the same time a step by the local government to introduce the new unit to the people on the busy route.

The Bali Provincial Government invites the public to flock to try this Trans Metro Dewata electric bus during the trial, because after the trial ended the government had not yet determined the tariff for this bus.

"If you can follow this opportunity, you will also have the opportunity to know that you are taking an electric bus, in the future in 2028 we already have a target for Trans Metro Dewata to be replaced with an electric bus because the age of TMD will be until 2028," said Samsi as quoted by ANTARA.

In addition to electric buses, the Bali Provincial Government has also introduced electric taxis which are planned to gradually increase from 2026 with the help of the Bali Development Fund in financing.

"This is one of the options that has been prepared, including the financing system, so that existing cooperatives can make business agreements with the Bali Development Fund," said the Head of the Bali Transportation Agency.