BALI INTRODUCES NEW ROUTES

The Bali administration will revamp its decaying public transportation system by November by launching three new bus routes which will be served by 25 recently-acquired air-conditioned buses.

The move is part of the administration’s long term program to establish its “Sarbagita” integrated public transportation system. Sarbagita - an acronym for the cities of Denpasar, Badung, Gianyar and Tabanan - will be comprised of multiple routes that will be served by many different types of vehicles connecting the cities.

“This is Sarbagita’s initial stage,” Bali Transportation Agency chief I Made Santha said Friday, referring to the new bus routes.

The first route will start in Puputan Badung square in downtown Denpasar and will connect the city with Nusa Dua, Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) cultural park and Udayana University campus in Jimbaran. The second route will start in Batubulan bus terminal in Gianyar and will run through Tohpati, Sanur, Sanggaran and Dewa Ruci intersection before ending at Kuta’s central parking facility. The third route will start from the same terminal and run along Sunset Road and the Dewa Ruci intersection before ending at Nusa Dua.

The introduction of the routes is hoped to mitigate the chronic traffic jams that currently plague those areas, he said.

“We have built 56 bus stops along those routes. We have yet to decide on a fare. It is likely that the administration will subsidize bus fares so tickets will not be too expensive for the general public,” Santha added.

The administration has also earmarked a budget of Rp 300 million (US$33,300) to finance operation of the routes for three months, he said.

“We acquired the buses from the central government under a grant,” Santha said.

Sarbagita is expected to offer 17 routes connecting three regencies and one municipality in southern Bali when it is fully-operational in 2015.

“The administration will also construct a flyover to connect Dewa Ruci intersection with Kuta, Nusa Dua and Ngurah Rai International Airport, as well as a bridge that will connect Serangan and Tanjung Benoa. Hopefully, Sarbagita will succeed in mitigating the traffic problems we are currently facing,” he said.

Source: TheJakartaPost, 26 July 2010