Jakarta: Indonesia is set to introduce water taxis in Bali as a strategic move to alleviate the island’s worsening traffic congestion. Lollan Andy Sutomo Panjaitan, secretary of the Directorate General of Sea Transportation at the Ministry of Transportation, highlighted the increasing severity of traffic, especially between I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport and Bali’s popular tourist destinations.

According to Nam News Network, the initiative aims to streamline travel for tourists, offering a direct route from the airport to areas such as Canggu without the delays caused by road traffic. The proposed water taxi service will be part of an integrated air and sea transportation system on the island, as explained by Panjaitan during a press conference in Jakarta.

Panjaitan further mentioned that the government is actively conducting a series of assessments, including surveys, technical analyses, and feasibility studies, to ensure the viability of the water taxi service. Additionally, there are considerations for developing MRT and LRT systems in Bali to provide more public transport options and enhance overall connectivity on the island.