10 New Buses to Service Denpasar

Made Arya Kencana

Denpasar. Public transportation commuters in Bali will soon be able to travel more easily around Denpasar, with the arrival of 10 new buses soon to go into service on a new route.

The new buses, which arrived in Denpasar from their assembly factory in Semarang, Central Java, on Sunday, will be used on the newly established corridor I of Bali’s Trans Sarbagita service, circumnavigating the island’s capital.

The new buses have capacity for 35 commuters — 20 seated and 15 standing — meaning they are smaller than the buses that service corridor II.

That corridor, which runs from Denpasar to Tabanan, has 15 buses, which can each accommodate 50 people — 30 sitting and 20 standing. The route passes by some of Bali’s most famous tourist attractions, including Sanur, Kuta, Jimbaran and Nusa Dua.

Trans Sarbagita chief Ida Bagus Parsa said a ceremony would soon be held to inaugurate the new buses.

“It so happened that this Wednesday there will be the Pager Wesi holiday. On Thursday we will register the buses’ license plates and next week we will be ready to operate [the new route],” he said.

The fares for the new corridor will be Rp 3,500 per one-way ticket, the same as for corridor II.

Parsa said the government chose smaller buses to operate inside Denpasar because they can navigate through small roads and tight corners.

“If they are the same size as corridor II, they will only create more traffic in Denpasar,” he said.

He added that his office had recruited 21 drivers for the new corridor and 21 clerks who will handle ticketing.

The government has allocated Rp 6.2 billion ($663,000) annually for Trans Sarbagita operating expenses.

Parsa said that since August last year, Trans Sarbagita has had an average of 1,800 passengers per day with growth of 22.5 percent. The government aims to increase it to 30 percent this year.

“At the moment the number of passengers is rising to 2,300 people per day because it’s school holiday season and the government is letting people in for free for the next three months for those who wish to see art festivals in Bali,” he said.