Bali’s public bus service, Trans Metro Dewata, will resume operation on 20th April 2025.
The service came to a halt at the beginning of the year due to funding constraints, leaving thousands of local residents without access to affordable public transport and reducing travel options for tourists.
The service will now be resumed, and leaders are making concerted efforts to keep it up and running.
The Trans Metro Dewata Bus service will relaunch its operation on 20th April 2025; however, it will operate at a slightly reduced capacity compared to 2024.
The service previously operated 105 services a day, and while the routes will remain the same, only 75 services will operate daily. This will increase what times but leaders hope will mean that each bus will travel with a higher number of passengers.
The Operational Manager of PT Satria Trans Jaya, Ida Bagus Eka Budi, explained to reporters “The distance between buses becomes between 17-19 minutes from the previous 12-13 minutes.”
The six bus routes are as follows:
Route 1: Kuta Parking Centre – Pesiapan Terminal
The first departure is at 4.30 am. The last departure is at 6.33 pm
Route 2: Ubung Terminal – Ngurah Rai Airport
The first departure is at 5 am. Last departure 6.49 pm
Route 3: Ubung – Sanur Terminal
The first departure is at 5 am Last departure 6.53 pm.
Route 4: Ubung Terminal – Monkey Forest Parking Centre
The first departure is 5 am Last departure is at 6.30 pm
Route 5: Kuta Parking Centre – Bali State Polytechnic
The first departure is at 5 am. Last departure at 6.36 pm.
Route 6: Kuta – Nusa Dua Parking Centre
The first departure is at 5 am. The last departure is at 7 pm.
Officials from Dishub, the Bali Transportation Agency, have confirmed that passengers can use the Trans Metro Dewata smartphone app to check to-the-minute information regarding bus times and to plan their routes.
The app is called ‘MitraDarat’ and is available on the Apple App Store and on Android. The app can be identified by its blue and yellow logo.
The Head of Road Transportation for the Bali Transportation Agency, Nyoman Sunarya, told reporters that Trans Metro Dewata is working to operate a more efficient service to maximize the use of resources, hence why there are a reduced number of buses being operated across the six usual routes.
He confirmed that Dishub will monitor usage and adjust the number of buses available based on demand but that 75 daily services should be more than enough for now.
Sunarya shared, “At certain times there may be more, some less, but before we serviced the last [operation] at an average of 40%, so this needs to be increased together to catch up to the 70% figure.”
He confirmed that funding is now in place to keep the bus service up and running and that one-way ticket fees will remain at IDR 4,400 for both Indonesian residents and tourists, making the Trans Metro Dewata service the most affordable transportation option in Bali.
The service connects tourists with destinations in central Ubud like Ubud Palace, and the Ubud Monkey Forest, as well as must-visit destinations in Denpasar like the Bajra Sandhi Monument.
The bus services operate all the way through to the resort of Sanur which is not only a fantastic beach destination in its own right but also the gateway to the Nusa Islands, via Sanur Harbour.
Sunarya concluded, “With TMD operating again, the public is expected to use public transportation. This helps reduce congestion, pollution, and accident rates and increases occupancy.”
“Also the existence of buses that are cheap and have a good service helps the community, especially since they are managed by the local government, so if possible the community can help.”
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