Indonesia’s Bali is making waves with an ambitious plan to introduce water taxis at its airport by the end of this year, aiming to alleviate the resort island’s notorious traffic congestion.
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As the number of tourists swells, local officials are betting that this aquatic solution can bring relief to both visitors and residents alike.
Set to launch in December, the water taxi service will provide a direct route from Ngurah Rai International Airport to some of Bali’s most sought-after resorts, including Kuta, Seminyak and Uluwatu.
“Sea transport could help mitigate the problem as the congestion on the land cannot be solved in a short time. We will encourage tourists to use the water taxi,” said Wayan Koster, Bali’s governor, as quoted by The Bali Sun.
Authorities have already conducted trial runs using traditional jukung canoes, with a trip to Uluwatu taking around 35 to 40 minutes. However, with modern vessels in the mix, that time could be slashed to just 25 to 30 minutes. By contrast, a car ride from the airport can take more than an hour, often bogged down by traffic jams.
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