Not Only Ports, the Ministry of Transportation Speeds Up Water Taxis to Reduce Traffic in Bali

Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi. (Photo: Ministry of Transportation)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) is accelerating the strengthening of transportation infrastructure in Bali through the development of Celukan Bawang Port and water taxi services.

Both programs are prepared to reduce the density of the Java-Bali crossing as well as reduce congestion in the tourist area of the Island of the Gods.

Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi said that the development of Celukan Bawang Port is one of the strategic steps to distribute vehicle traffic, which has been based on the Ketapang-Gilimanuk crossing.

This effort is also part of preparations for the 2026 Christmas and 2027 New Year transportation as well as the 2027 Lebaran transportation which is adjacent to Nyepi Day.

"We need to overcome the density that occurs at the Ketapang-Gilimanuk crossing. Learning from the experience at the Merak-Bakauheni crossing, we believe that the density must be broken through alternative ports," said Dudy when reviewing the Celukan Bawang Port, Buleleng Regency, Bali, in an official statement, Friday, July 10.

The Ministry of Transportation has studied a number of crossing route alternatives, including Jangkar-Celukan Bawang, Tanjung Wangi-Celukan Bawang, Ketapang-Padang Bai or Gunaksa, and Ketapang-Benoa.

Of these options, the Celukan Bawang Port is projected to be one of the important nodes for crossing from Java to Bali.

To accelerate its realization, Dudy asked PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo) and PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry to immediately complete the revitalization and technical studies so that the port can start operating according to the target.

"We have asked in particular to Pelindo to carry out revitalization so that this port can serve crossings from the Anchor Port, Ketapang, and Tanjung Wangi in Banyuwangi. I also ask Pelindo and ASDP to review and complete all preparations according to the target that has been determined. Hopefully, in December, Celukan Bawang Port can help break the crossing flow," he said.

In addition to preparing alternative ports, the Ministry of Transportation also continues to develop water taxi services as a supporting transportation mode in Bali.

Dudy said that the service is projected to reduce the travel time from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport to the Canggu area from around 1.5 to 2 hours to only around 30 minutes.

"We have calculated that it takes about 30 minutes from the airport to Canggu. At least this can reduce the burden on the road. The tourist animo is also quite high because it provides a different travel experience," he said.

In the air sector, the Ministry of Transportation also encourages the development of the capacity of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport.

The airport currently serves around 24.9 million passengers per year or has surpassed the number of passengers before the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Hopefully, through the development of airport capacity, this number can increase to around 32 million passengers so that it can support the equalization of development," said Dudy.

For information, before reviewing the Celukan Bawang Port, Dudy also met with the Governor of Bali I Wayan Koster to discuss accelerating the strengthening of transportation infrastructure in Bali, both in the maritime and air sectors.