SEAToday.com, Denpasar - The construction of the Bali Urban Railway has officially started on Wednesday (9/4), marked by the Ngeruwak ceremony held by PT Sarana Bali Dwipa Jaya (SBDJ) and PT Bumi Indah Prima (BIP) at Central Parking Kuta.

The ceremony held to ask for blessing and protection for the smooth running of the project was also attended by Bali Acting Governor Sang Made Mahendra Jaya. In his message he revealed that this is the first major project in Indonesia without using state/regional budget funds that must be monitored together. The total investment of this project reaches USD 20 billion.

Mahendra on the sidelines of the ceremony also revealed that this mode of transport is planned to be free for people with Bali ID cards. With 85% targeting tourists, it is expected to subsidize  local residents. “I hope (for) the locals to be free, that 85% will subsidize the locals, the ones with Bali ID cards,” Mahendra explained.

The Bali Urban Subway will be built in four phases. The first phase includes I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport-Kuta Sentral Parking-Seminyak-Berawa-Cemagi with a length of 16 kilometers. Then, phase two, I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport-Jimbaran-Unud-Nusa Dua along 13.5 km.

Phase three includes Central Parking Kuta-Sesetan-Renon-Sanur. Furthermore, phase four includes Renon- Sukawati-Ubud. However, the third and fourth phases are still in the feasibility study (FS) stage.

The construction of the Ngurah Rai Airport to Kuta Sentral Parking phase plus the entire phase 2 is targeted to be completed by the end of the second quarter in 2028.