TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Deputy of Facilities and Infrastructure of the National Development Planning Ministry Ervan Maksum revealed the government's plan to develop light rail transit (LRT) in Bali.

"In Bali, going to the airport will take 2 to 3 hours, which makes [transportation] in Bali more expensive despite the size of the island. One of the solutions is train, thus we will introduce LRT [in Bali]," he said, during a virtual discussion with the theme of "Green Financing Strategy for Transportation Sector to a Just Railways Competitiveness", quoted on Monday, September 25, 2023.

According to Ervan, tourism in Bali is divided into several clusters, such as Jimbaran, Seminyak, Kuta, Nusa Dua, and Sanur. The problem arises in regard to the access to and from Ngurah Rai airport, which necessitated the development of LRT Bali.

Meanwhile, Bali requires its buildings to stand less than a coconut tree height. Therefore, the only way to develop LRT in Bali is to build it underground. "The development of underground rail will cost three times compared to over-the-ground development. For example, the development of Ngurah Rai Airport will cost Rp5 trillion, because it's so much more expensive even if it only takes 4.5 to 4.9 kilometers," Ervan said.

Earlier, Railways DG of the Transportation Ministry MohamadRisal Wasal ensured that his agency would partner up with a South Korean company Korean National Railway (KNR) to sharpen the technical design of LRT Bali. "We are aiming to finalize the feasibility study of LRT Bali this year," he said on June 2, 2023.

According to Risal, the Bali Transportation Office and KNR conducted the initial study for LRT back in 2021. The study resulted in a two-phase development stretched across 9.46 kilometers.

The first phase will be the development of a 5.3-kilometer track from Ngurah Rai Airport to the Kuta Central Park in Badung Regency. The remaining 4.16 kilometers will be connected to Seminyak Subdistrict. The track is estimated to connect to the Mengwi area.

Earlier on May 30, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi met with KNR and KIND officials in South Korea. According to the minister, the first phase of LRT Bali will be financed through official development assistance from the South Korean government. Meanwhile, the second phase will be financed through a public-private partnership scheme.

MOH KHORY ALFARIZI | YOHANES PASKALIS

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