DENPASAR, Bali — Bali has officially received 11 electric buses and six charging facilities from South Korea, with the new fleet set to enter trial service on the Trans Sarbagita public transport network.

The handover took place in Denpasar on October 22 as part of the Bali Sustainable Transportation System project, involving the South Korean government, the Global Green Growth Institute and Indonesian authorities.

The buses are Hyundai COUNTY EV models supplied for Bali’s first electric public transport pilot. Each vehicle has 20 seats, while Bali transportation officials say additional standing passengers can also be accommodated.

According to the Bali Transportation Agency, the fleet will be assigned to Trans Sarbagita’s Corridor I, serving the route between GOR Ngurah Rai in Denpasar and Garuda Wisnu Kencana in South Bali. Several units will be kept as reserve vehicles to maintain service reliability.

Before regular operations begin, the provincial government is selecting a bus operator and requiring drivers to undergo specialised training.

The trial service will be free for passengers through December 2026. However, riders will still be required to tap an electronic payment card when boarding so authorities can record passenger numbers.

Once the trial period ends and the buses are registered as public transport vehicles, the fare is expected to follow existing Trans Sarbagita and Trans Metro Dewata pricing at Rp4,400.

Charging infrastructure has also been prepared at the Bali Transportation Agency depot for overnight charging and at GOR Ngurah Rai for daytime top-ups.

South Korea’s ambassador to Indonesia, Yoon Soon-gu, said the project was intended to help Bali reduce greenhouse gas emissions while improving cleaner and more comfortable public transport for residents and visitors.

The latest handover moves the electric bus program from planning into actual deployment, with Bali now preparing the vehicles for passenger service.