JAKARTA - The Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) is preparing strategic steps to strengthen connectivity in the province of Bali through the development of water taxis and docks at the Celukan Bawang Port, Buleleng Regency.
Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi said that the strengthening of connectivity was carried out to support mobility in tourist areas and to reduce traffic density, especially in the Badung area.
One of the efforts prepared is the development of a water taxi service that will integrate land, sea, and air transportation. This project is currently entering the stage of preparing a Detailed Engineering Design (DED) study by ASDP Indonesia Ferry.
"Water taxis can connect I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport with the Canggu tourism area. Based on field observations, the travel time by land from the airport to Canggu is 1-2 hours. Meanwhile, using a water taxi, it is expected to take a maximum of 30 minutes," said Dudy in a working meeting with Commission V of the DPR RI in Senayan, Jakarta, Wednesday, April 8.
Dudy explained that the construction work of the water taxi was planned to start from August 2026 to July 2027. In addition, the Ministry of Transportation also prepared the development of a pier at the Celukan Bawang Port as part of efforts to increase logistics and maritime transport capacity.
According to Dudy, Pier I will be focused on serving general cargo and liquid asphalt barges with an additional length of 92 meters. Meanwhile, Pier II is designed as a multipurpose pier that can serve passengers, general cargo, and dry bulk with an additional length of 60 meters.
"This is the result of an evaluation that an alternative port is needed so that heavy, large, and small vehicles do not mix," he said.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Transportation also encourages Pelindo to develop the port in Ketapang by opening a new pier in Gilimanuk, including the provision of a buffer zone to anticipate a surge in vehicle traffic.
"As one of the short-term solutions, we ask Pelindo to develop the port, especially in Ketapang by opening a new pier in Gilimanuk. We hope that we can also get a buffer zone as an alternative solution to overcome the flow of vehicles that is so large, especially next year when Nyepi and Idulfitri will be side by side," he explained.
Dudy hopes that the strategic steps that have been prepared can be implemented immediately to strengthen connectivity, support passenger mobility and more efficient logistics distribution, reducing traffic density.
"At the same time, it will improve the quality of transportation services in the tourism area," he said.
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