Is the new Bali Railway the answer to the rapidly growing traffic issues on the island? This is a question many are asking, and one that authorities believe they have answered. A long-awaited ring road servicing the Uluwatu area, and railway network connecting the airport to central tourist hubs could certainly work. But will it cause more problems than it solves?
Traffic issues in Bali are nothing new. Ever since the island began to see rapid growth and popularity, even as far back as the 1960’s, the existing road network has been under constant scrutiny. Fast forward to today, and the problems are hitting levels that not only have never been seen before, but are going far beyond the predictions of the majority of experts.
Major Traffic Issues
Just recently, over the Christmas and New Year break of 2023/24, traffic levels hit a new high. Over 1.2 million tourists descended upon Bali, and the gridlock began to resemble something more akin to Jakarta than Bali. Considering many of those caught in the traffic jams were actually from Jakarta was ironic, but no one saw anything remotely humorous about the situation.
On one particular evening, the Bali Toll Road became jam packed with cars attempting to get to the airport. Traffic was at a standstill for so long that tourists were forced to exit their Taxis/GRAB cars in the middle of the road and walk to the airport. For some, this meant wheeling suitcases up to 5 kilometers down a road not meant for pedestrians, and into an airport that has no pedestrian access.
This situation was very embarrassing for authorities who were at a total loss for how it happened. Still, no one can explain it. What it DID highlight though, is that the current Bali road network is not handling the congestion that occurs during current holiday periods, and is in no way prepared for future tourism levels.
The push for a Bali Railway
The result of this was another big push for the much-touted new Bali Railway. This has been spoken about for some time, and is seen by authorities as the answer to the rapidly spiraling congestion issues that are plaguing the island.
The problem with a new Bali Railway though, is that this is an island that has never seen a railway before, and many speed humps will need to be negotiated before implementing such large changes. Many of these are geographical, others are logistical. Some of the biggest though, are cultural.
The Bali Railway was first touted as a Light Rail System. This would be introduced to link the International Airport with tourism hubs such as Kuta, Legian and Seminyak. Anyone that understands, or has ever been to these areas though, knows that you are flat out riding a scooter through them, let alone finding a clear path to build a railway.
This was maybe the first issue that planners had to negotiate. Ideas were touted to run the Bali railway overhead, such as what they do in Jakarta, and in many major cities around the world. The problem in Bali though, is that there is a local law that nothing is to be built higher than a palm tree. Now, there are certainly hotels along the Kuta/Legian/Seminyak strip that are exceeding this height already, although in all fairness, I’m not certain what the “official” height of a palm tree is. Five stories does seem rather tall though.
The other issue is that nothing can run above a temple of any description. Bali, being predominantly Hindu, has many, many temples. The culture runs deep here, and laws and customs that have been in place for as long as people have lived on the island still exist, and as such they should be adhered to. No one should be able to make them change their laws or customs, even in the name of progress.
The underground solution
So, as should be done, the planners had to find another way.
The answer for the Bali Railway, it seems, is to move underground.
How they will achieve this is anyone’s guess. This is an island, and any sort of digging to a decent depth WILL result in flooding. In recent times, two underpasses have been constructed on major roads in the same area as the Bali Railway will be built, and flooding became a constant problem. Especially during the wet season.
Then there will be the logistical challenges. Tunnels, especially long tunnels, require access points. Areas of Kuta, Legian and Seminyak will no doubt be shut down during this time. How will they deal with that?
These are questions that I’m sure, or at least hope, they have identified and have solutions for. As someone that lives in Bali, I don’t mind seeing some short-term pain for long term gain. This will come as no comfort to those holiday makers that find themselves put out though, and Bali’s reputation during this period may actually decline if traffic issues become worse during construction.
There will be many people watching with interest though. A recent map has been doing the rounds of what a Bali Railway Network could look like. Moving far beyond the Airport to Seminyak plan, this map shows multiple networks stretching along the coast to Tanah Lot, north to Gilimanuk, a loop around Denpasar, and spurs heading off to East Bali and Beyond. While some of these may be easier to plan and construct than the current edition set to charge right through the CBD of downtown, it seems that the future of those to follow, depends solely upon the success of the first.
And then, the question remains. Will it be worth it? Will the Bali Railway be a success? Time will tell.
Alternative solutions
So, what of other solutions to the Bali traffic issues?
Another solution touted by local authorities, and one that has been in the planning stage for quite some time is the Bali Bukit “Ring Road”. Talked about for years, the ring road will spur off the toll way at Nusa Dua, cutting a course up and over the hill to the cliff tops. Here it will run parallel to the cliffs before diving down and running along the base of the cliffs as a “sea bridge” not unlike the one found south of Sydney in Australia. At Uluwatu, it will come back to land again and follow a course back to Jimbaran.
How all this will work is anyone’s guess at the moment, and authorities have been busy buying up land with the view of making it a reality.
Once again though – at what cost?
The marketing for this tells of plans to open Uluwatu to the world. On the surface this sounds great, and anyone that has ever traveled out to Uluwatu will tell you of the massive congestion on the one and only major road that leads there. The new ring road will alleviate this.
Talk to locals though, or long term Uluwatu visitors that have always found that the difficult access has consistently kept Uluwatu as a quiet, snoozy little surfing community, and you will hear a different view. Will the ring road open it up too much? Will the homely cafes and peaceful beaches be suddenly jam packed with influencers? Will the world class surf breaks be overwhelmed with crowds coming from as far off as Canggu?
History says that it will.
That history is as recent as the Pandemic, when the Canggu beaches were closed down due to unruly tourists that ignored lock down. Everyone flocked to Nusa Dua and Uluwatu, coming to surf the incredible breaks that were still open. It didn’t take long for authorities to shut Uluwatu down as well, barring access to beaches all along the bukit.
The fear is that once the world has open slather access, Uluwatu may be ruined. As with the Bali Railway, time will tell. For tourists wanting to experience wonders such as Uluwatu Temple though, the Ring Road can only end up being a positive development.
A Paramount issue
While a planned ring road and Bali Railway could end up easing traffic issues in Southern Bali, it is other areas of Bali that have also been coming under the spotlight lately.
Ground has finally been broken on a long-awaited theme park, announced some time ago by Paramount. The park, located in the Regency of Jembrana on Bali’s South Western Coastline, will certainly bring with it a whole new set of issues for Balinese authorities.
On the surface, a theme park being located so far from the central, densely populated southern Bali tourist area might not be so bad. But it’s the flow on effect that will cause headaches.
Theme Parks bring families. Families that will stay in resorts, located in Kuta, Legian and Seminyak. Then, they need to get to the theme park, meaning a lot more traffic flowing through the western outskirts of Korobokan and Denpasar – areas that are already struggling.
A new motorway being constructed from Gilimanuk to Mengwi will possibly assist in alleviating some of this issue, but the Mengwi to Denpasar stretch of roads will remain the same, albeit with a lot more traffic, clogged up with tourist buses and mini vans. Add to this the fact that a new motorway will mean more road traffic coming from Java, particularly during the domestic holiday period, and things could really get messy.
So, what else can be done to alleviate the issue?
Obviously, if the Bali Railway proves to be a success in Southern Bali, then plans will escalate to introduce it in other areas. No doubt a link to the Paramount Theme Park would be high on the list. This, however, is a medium to long term solution.
What about the immediate problems?
Bali locals know where the issues lie. Expats and regular visitors to the island will tell you as well. Especially those that come from countries where traffic issues are handled a lot more easily. But identifying the problem is a lot easier than solving it.
You see, the main problem with traffic in Bali is from the design of the roads. Balinese, and Indonesian roads for that matter, were mostly created years ago, long before tourism really hit. There are no laws prohibiting buildings from being built right up to the streets, such as you will see in western countries. The results are narrow, two-lane roads with no room to be widened. And even if they could knock down a few warungs to widen a road, they can’t remove a temple, so the issue is still there.
One way around this, or at least to alleviate it, is to enforce a few traffic rules. Or in some cases create new ones. The majority of traffic jams on roads in Bali come from someone double parking a truck to make a delivery – sometimes for hours – on a major thoroughfare. This is a common issue, but one that isn’t highlighted by locals that are so accustomed to it that they don’t even blink. A simple tweak to local parking rules, and many of the traffic congestion problems would be eliminated.
But is it as simple as that? In reality, probably not. Is a new Bali Railway the answer? Who knows?
All I know is that something needs to be done. The authorities are trying. They are coming up with answers and possible long-term solutions that may, or may not work. If they do, then the decision makers will be heroes. If they don’t – well, Bali may have to go back to square one again.
I’m just happy that I don’t have to be the one coming up with the answers, because THAT would be a very tough job!
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