Trans Sarbagita’s new bus route to start soon

Although feeder buses will not be available until September, the operation of the second Trans Sarbagita route from downtown Denpasar is to commence this month, prior to the Idul Fitri holiday, following a slight delay.

“It’s true that we expect the presence of the Trans Sarbagita feeder buses to attract more passengers to use this upcoming route. However, it won’t be a problem if the feeder buses are only ready after the route commences,” the head of Trans Sarbagita, Ida Bagus Parsa, told Bali Daily on Wednesday.

Parsa said that the new Trans Sarbagita route from Denpasar to Jimbaran would either start operating on Aug. 14, the anniversary of Bali, or on Indonesian Independence Day on Aug. 17. “Basically, we hope that by the Idul Fitri holiday, the new Trans Sarbagita route is already running,” said Parsa.

The Denpasar-Jimbaran route will embark from Ngurah Rai Stadium in Denpasar, passing Jl. Kamboja, Jl. Melati, Jl. Surapati, Jl. Letda Made Putra, Jl. Sudirman, Jl. Raya Sesetan, Jl. Pesanggaran, Jl. Bypass Ngurah Rai, Jl. Raya Kampus Udayana, Jl. Uluwatu and finish at Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) Cultural Park in Jimbaran.

Meanwhile, the return journey will start from GWK Cultural Park passing Jl. Kampus Udayana, Jl. Bypass Ngurah Rai, Jl. Pesanggaran, Jl. Raya Sesetan, Jl. Diponegoro, Jl. Letda S Parman, Jl. Udayana, Jl. Surapati, Jl. Kamboja, Jl. Melati and finish at Ngurah Rai Stadium.

Among the 24 bus stops along the route, some are located near schools, campuses, offices and commerce areas, thus, making it more convenient for passengers to use the buses. There was a park-and-ride area at the Udayana University campus on Jl. Sudirman, while Jl. Kamboja, Jl. Surapati and Ngurah Rai Stadium were also considered strategic locations, Parsa pointed out.

Trans Sarbagita has prepared 10 new buses with a 20-seat capacity and 15 straps for standing passengers. These are smaller in size than those serving the Batubulan-Nusa Dua route. After last month’s route trial, the new route had been targeting operating by the last week of July.

“There was some paperwork delay relating to vehicle registration last month. But it is all settled. Now, we are seeking the right moment to commence operations,” said Parsa, hoping that the operation date would be finalized by the provincial transportation agency soon.

The Denpasar Transportation Agency has set a regular fare of Rp 5,000 (53 US cents) for the service. However, Astika acknowledged, “We have a warning and penalty mechanism for the violators, but still it’s too hard to ensure they operate with the regulated tariff, let alone have them drive the actual routes.”