Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Director of state-owned railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) Bobby Rasyidin said the government had allocated approximately Rp2 trillion (US$110 million) for the development of a rail-based transport system in Bali.
He said construction of the planned Bali tram system would take approximately two years and be carried out in two phases: the first connecting I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport to Legian, and the second extending from Legian to Canggu.
"We have conveyed that the budget for the Bali rail service is approximately Rp2 trillion," Rasyidin said after meeting with President Prabowo Subianto at the Indonesian Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta on Thursday.
Earlier, the Bali provincial government, Badung Regency Government, and KAI signed an agreement to develop a battery-powered electric tram system along the I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport-Canggu route to ease traffic congestion and support tourism.
"Tourist comfort must be maintained. This tram is expected to become a new attraction for Bali tourism," Bali Governor Wayan Koster said after the agreement was signed in Bali on September 1.
The electric tram is being developed as a potential solution to congestion along the airport-Canggu corridor, which handles daily traffic of up to 150,000 people and 80,000 vehicles.
Koster said the 12-kilometer electric tram line would serve not only tourists but also take into account hotels, tourist accommodations, attractions, environmental concerns, residential areas, and local communities.
He also emphasized that infrastructure development should not come at the expense of Bali's ecosystem.
"Transport infrastructure development must respect Bali's unique character, preserve its natural beauty, support tourism, and avoid disrupting local communities," he said.