In order to help the Balinese economy affected by the pandemic, the Australian Government assisted with a sustainable urban mobility plan or SUMP development plan for the Bali Metropolitan area.
The assistance provided constitutes a strategic plan to ensure Bali’s urban transport infrastructure is affordable, accessible, sustainable, safe, and lays the groundwork for further government and private sector investments.
The metropolitan areas included in this plan include Denpasar City, Badung Regency, Gianyar and Tabanan (Sarbagita).
Australian Consul-General to Bali Anthea Griffin, quoted from a press statement, Friday (8/4/2022), explained, “Covid-19 has had a significant economic impact on the Balinese people, especially in the tourism and hospitality sector. Well-planned infrastructure development can contribute to Bali’s economic recovery.”
Griffin explained that the strategic plan for metropolitan transportation had been presented to the Governor of Bali, I Wayan Koster. This plan was developed through a partnership between the Ministry of National Planning and Development, BAPPENAS, and the Australian Government-funded bilateral infrastructure program, KIAT.
Later, SUMP develops recommendations on how best to connect transport users with workplaces and recreation and provide reliable and high-quality transportation services.
This plan involves broad community involvement and consultation with the Province of Bali and the local governments of Denpasar, Badung, Gianyar, and Tabanan. Bali was prioritized for the first SUMP study supported by Australia, as it is one of the ten most populous regions in Indonesia with traffic congestion and increasing environmental pressures, and well-planned infrastructure can support Bali’s economic growth.
In the future implementation, Australia will provide technical expertise and capacity support to develop SUMP in three metropolitan areas, Denpasar, Semarang, and Makassar.
“Australia places a high priority on Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion, including in our infrastructure partnership with Indonesia. Good infrastructure must be accessible to all and meet the needs of the community. I believe the plan submitted today can help transform urban mobility in Bali,” he explained.
It is known, that mass transportation in the Denpasar area has not developed since the pandemic hit. The Balinese government has provided bus assistance, but its effectiveness has not yet been felt.
This is because the connectivity with the work center is not well connected. Therefore, assistance from the Australian government will be very beneficial for the arrangement of Bali’s transportation system in the future.
