It seems that Bali’s authorities have given up on solving the island’s traffic congestion on land and are now looking to the ocean for relief. The Bali Airport Water Taxi service, Ocean Taxi, is set to launch routes connecting the island’s top resorts as early as December this year.
Indonesia’s Minister of Transportation, Dudi Purwagandi, announced that the new marine transfer service will transport tourists directly from Ngurah Rai International Airport to the island’s most popular coastal destinations, including Kuta, Seminyak, and Uluwatu.
The Ministry of Transportation has already conducted initial tests using traditional jukung boats—the iconic Balinese canoes with bamboo outriggers used by local fishermen. However, officials have assured that the passenger service will operate modern boats for increased safety and comfort.
Faster Than Traffic: Airport to Uluwatu in 25 Minutes
Trial runs revealed that the travel time between the airport and Seminyak or airport and Uluwatu is approximately 35-40 minutes by boat—significantly faster than traveling by car during peak traffic and high tourist season.
“We tested the route using a jukung, and it took around 35-40 minutes. But once we deploy the speedboats we’ve acquired, the journey to Uluwatu could be as quick as 25-30 minutes,” Minister Purwagandi estimated.
Bali Governor Wayan Koster has also backed the initiative, calling it the fastest solution to the island’s severe traffic issues.
Earlier this year, Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono visited Bali to explore all possible ocean taxi solutions that could provide direct links between top resorts and the airport. His goal is to establish a public transportation model centered around Bali’s airport, shifting reliance away from private cars and motorbikes.
“Land transportation is, of course, important. But we need to focus more on public transport rather than private vehicles and motorbikes. And we are placing particular hopes on the water taxi system,” said Yudhoyono.
Ocean Taxi won’t be the first marine transport service on the island. GoBoat has already been operating for over a year, offering passenger transport between Canggu and Uluwatu by sea. The route takes just 40 minutes and costs 220,000 IDR.
GoBoat runs every two hours, from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM from Nelayan Beach in Canggu and 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM from Padang Padang Beach in Uluwatu. The company also operates a Canggu to Kedonganan Beach (Jimbaran) route. Tickets are available exclusively online, with payment options including credit cards, OVO, GoPay, QRIS, and even Google Pay.
Meanwhile, another ocean transfer route has just been launched in Benoa, connecting Tanjung Benoa, Serangan, and Pedungan, further expanding Bali’s growing marine transport network.
Sources: Tempo, GoodnewsfromIndonesia.id
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