A new shuttle bus service is on trial in Bali’s Sanur and is set to be introduced full-time in the near future.
Sanur is Bali’s OG holiday resort and has just undergone a huge transformation into a world-leading medical tourism and wellness hub.
As Sanur celebrates the start of its new era, there are new developments opening up every day. As of mid-August, a new shuttle bus service will be on trial in central Sanur, as part of an initiative launched by the Denpasar Transportation Office.
The open-sided shuttle bus will provide tourists with an easy and accessible hop-on, hop-off service. Unlike the Trans Metro Dewata Bus service, which connects the public from Sanur to destinations in Denpasar, the Sanur Shuttle Service will be operational only within the resort area.
Reporters spoke to passengers taking part in the pre-trial procedure. Putu Ardiyasa Raditya Putra told reporters, “The shuttle is open, so it’s more fun. Only if it rains heavily, or there is wind, maybe there will be a little water.”
The new Sanur Shuttle Bus will operate from Mertasari Beach, stop off on Pangembak Street, Mertasari Street, Jalan Danau Poso, Jalan Danau Tamblingan, and Jalan Danau Toba. The final stop will be within the new Sanur Special Economic Zone for Medical Tourism, near the SMP Wisata.
Putra told reporters, “I took a full trip from Mertasari to SMP Winsata Sanur. There are several stops that are passed, and we have to get off according to the prepared stop, but the bus stop is only a board; there are no roofs or waiting chairs.” There are hopes that as the Sanur Shuttle Bus service becomes more formalised, bigger bus stops will be created for passengers.”
He noted, “Maybe this shuttle will be more acceptable to foreign tourist because they are used to taking public transport in their country.”
A timetable has not been published as of yet, but is expected to be revealed when the trial formally launches in mid-August. Passengers will be able to make their ticket payments on a contactless payment reader located behind the driver when they hop aboard.
The Sanur Shuttle Bus trial service is just one of many ways that leaders in Bali are working to create impactful and novel solutions to traffic congestion on the island. Leaders, including Bali Governor Wayan Koster, have all referenced the urgent need to tackle Bali’s traffic congestion issues, both for the good of local residents and the tourism sector.
Over the next few months, new sea taxi services are being launched across Bali’s most popular coastal resorts to help reduce traffic on land and offer tourists a more scenic and efficient way to travel between destinations.
Just last week, a new sea taxi service was launched between Benoa and Tanjung Benoa, cutting travel time between the two resort areas by half.
With the sea taxi service, travel time is only 10-15 minutes, depending on the tide, as opposed to 30 minutes by road.
Similarly, new sea taxi services are expected to be launched by the end of the year, or early 2026 at the latest, between Bali Airport and Canggu.
On the 1st August, the Badung Regency Government confirmed that it is in the final stages of planning for a new fast boat service that will connect tourists directly from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport to Canggu.
Speaking to reporters, the Regent of Badung, Wayan Adi Arnawa, told reporters this week, “As previously stated. We are encouraging the existence of a mode of sea transportation in the form of a water taxi or sea taxi. We try maybe from the airport to Canggu.”
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